


It's not always rainbows and butterflies

by Longliveclexa445



Category: The 100, clexa - Fandom
Genre: Clarke is a sweetheart, Consensual Underage Sex, F/F, Fighting, First Try, Lexa is a trouble maker, M/M, Mentions of past abuse, a soft nerd, because she's always a party girl, breaks the law, why not switch it up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-17
Updated: 2018-05-08
Packaged: 2019-03-20 10:48:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 68,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13716078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Longliveclexa445/pseuds/Longliveclexa445
Summary: Anya and Lexa Woods have been in the foster care system for most of their lives until Gustus and Indra take them into their home. Anya loves it, Lexa.... not so much. She stays with the same group of friends who have "had her back" when no one else was there. Moving to a new school is hard and Lexa lands herself into some trouble. All thanks to the princess, Clarke Griffin.Clarke Griffin is NOT a princess. She works hard for the grades she has and doesn't let things go by. She also takes time to visit the Senior Citizens Home where she works part time and has made quite a few friends. She cannot stand when Lexa moves into her school with her macho facade.What happens when Lexa reluctantly takes a step into Clarke's world? And what will Clarke learn about Lexa that no one else has even tried to figure out.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, so this story just hit me out of nowhere. I had the idea and wrote it out. I'm gonna take a pause on my second story and try writing for this one. I hope you enjoy the prologue. Also, I suck at summaries so........ enjoy!

“You can drop the act now.”

 

Lexa can only sigh as she climbs off her bike, “I can assure you I do not know what you are talking about.”

 

Letting out a frustrated huff, Clarke tells her, “Ugh! The act, Lexa. You can quit acting like you're better than everyone. Like you're some commander with a God complex.”

 

Lexa laughs as she places her helmet on the seat of her bike, “Oh princess, it's not an act.”

 

“Fuck you.”

 

Lexa raises her eyebrow, “Name the time and place. I'd be happy to.” Clarke is left speechless and just walks inside. Why did she get tortured with being stuck with this...asshole. That wasn't even the right word to describe Lexa but it would have to do in Clarke's book. She opens the door and storms her way in. 

 

Lexa follows behind her. Normally she isn't this much of an asshole to anyone but Clarke seemed to bring it out in her. She had other things to be doing. It was Clarke's fault she was here anyway. Where exactly was here? She didn't bother to ask. What she notices first while walking through the doors is how white the place is. There are nurses walking up and down the hallway. Were they in a hospital? Shit, why hadn't she paid attention to where she'd been going? She shakes her head and sees Clarke has stopped to talk to the receptionist.

 

“Clarke, it's good to see you. He's been asking for you.” Clarke smiles, “Hi, Jackson, he has? Mind if I go back there?” Jackson laughs, “Of course, I'll buzz you in.” Clarke walks to the door and Jackson lets her in. 

 

“Um, Clarke?” Lexa is trying to catch up but Clarke just walks through and lets the doors close behind her. She tries to open the doors and is met with someone clearing their throat, “Can I help you?” She lets out a nervous laugh, “Haha...yeah, that blonde that walked in, I'm with her.” Jackson raises his eyebrow, “That blonde has a name. And if Clarke didn't hold the door open, then you must be unwanted in her company.

 

Lexa scratches her head, “Look, I don't want to be here but it's needed. So could you just please let me in?” Jackson walks over to his desk, “Name, please.” Lexa follows behind him, “Umm, Lexa.” Jackson laughs, “You sound unsure of that. Lexa. Oh! So you're Lexa.” 

 

Lexa looks confused, “How do you know me?” Jackson takes the sticker with Lexa's name on it and hands it to her, “Right through those doors, Lexa. Follow the hallway to the end and make a right. You'll find Clarke in room 322.” He buzzes her in and Lexa walks down. She notices an older woman with white hair sitting outside a room in a wheelchair. Taking a few more steps, she peeks into another room and notices an older man watching television. They were in an old folks home. Well, the correct term is a senior citizens home. Why would Clarke spend her free time here? As she walks to the room Jackson told her, she answers her own question.

 

The first sound Lexa hears is Clarke's laugh. Stepping further into the room, she notices Clarke is talking to an older gentleman. He is sitting in a wheelchair and has white hair. It's so white Lexa has a hard time believing it isn't dyed. The next thing she notices is his skin. It's thin and brittle, almost like used up sandpaper. He has a kind voice when he speaks, “It seems like we have another visitor, Clarke.”

 

Looking away from the man sitting in front of her, Clarke makes eye contact with Lexa, “Oh. I guess Jackson let you in after all.” Lexa laughs, “Not without the fifty questions first but yeah.” The old man clears his throat, “Care to introduce an old man?” Clarke beams from ear to ear, “I'm sorry, Lexa, this is Dante Wallace. A very dear friend of mine. Dante, this is Lexa.”

 

Lexa strides closer to the gentleman and shakes his hand, “It's a pleasure to meet you, sir.” Dante smiles, “Manners. Clarke told me she didn't think you had any.” Clarke blushes, “Dante!” Lexa can only laugh it off, “I assure you, I have manners. I'm not as terrible as Clarke may make me seem.” 

 

Dante smiles, “It's nice to hear that, dear. Now come you two. It's tea time and I want you to meet someone special.” Clarke stands up and goes to push his wheelchair, “Are we flirting with the ladies again, Dante?” He scoffs, “I do no such thing!” They laugh together and Lexa is stuck following behind them both. This was going to be a long day it felt like. Yet, maybe Lexa had been too quick to judge Clarke. After all, not many people would come to a center like this. 

 

“Lexa, you coming?” Shaking her head, Lexa speaks up, “Yeah, I'm right behind you.” She follows Clarke and Dante into the next room and wonders just how much of a secret there was to Clarke Griffin. And Lexa Woods was eager to learn them all.


	2. Moving day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here it is, the first chapter of my story! I hope you all enjoy. I'm excited to share this story with you all. As we go through, there are going to be mentions of past violence and fighting, in this chapter there is a discussion of a minor character being harmed. There is also a fight that happens as well. Not to worry my dear readers, I will always warn you what's in store for each chapter. Without further ado, enjoy.

Two years and six months. Indra and Gustus Forrester had decided to become foster parents. Two years and six months, they had to speak to their son, Lincoln Forrester, and make sure he was still okay with their decision. Of course he was okay with it. He had the most loving parents anyone could ever ask for. After a bad accident, Indra could no longer have children but that didn't stop her or her husband. 

 

After waiting and going through checklist after checklist, Indra finally got the call she had been hoping for. There were two young girls, one 16 and one 17, that needed a foster home. The halfway house they had been in needed the space, and Indra was next on the list. Gathering her son and husband, they made their way down to the halfway house.

 

It was dismal. Indra was appalled by the sight and Gustus could only clear his throat, “This is where they house teens?” Lincoln had to admit he even felt sorry for anyone who lived here. The sign above them read, “Arkadia home for girls". The house was a total mess. The wood was rotting and the lawn hadn't been tended to in years. Indra straightens her jacket and the family walk into the halfway house. 

 

Opening the door, Indra wipes her hand discreetly on her skirt. It was full of gum from previous girls she could only assume. Once the three step inside, they are greeted by a woman, “Hi, welcome to Arkadia home for girls. My name is Nia Queen, you must be Indra Forrester?” She holds out her hand and Indra shakes it as she speaks, “Yes, my husband and I have been waiting for the phone call like this one. May we meet the girls?” A smile forms on her face that Gustus doesn't like. Her eyes are cold. 

 

“Of course, if you three will follow me.” She walks down the hall and into a room that has become a makeshift office. Indra follows behind her.

 

Gustus whispers over to Lincoln, “Ice Queen.” Lincoln laughs, “Yeah, I agree with that. Let's go before she freezes us with her stare.” The two men follow quickly behind Indra. They take a seat in the chairs provided for them while Nia pulls out her paperwork.

 

“Now I understand you were asked to take in two foster children. Yet I can assure you that you will only be taking one foster child home.” Indra sits up straighter in her chair, making Nia visibly uncomfortable, “I speak no ill harm, Ms. Queen, but I was asked to take in two children and I would like to meet them both.” Nia does not do well to hide her scowl and Indra takes note of it. Gustus notices as well and stands behind his wife, “We are ready to take in anyone who needs a good home.” Nia sighs, “Fine, allow me to grab the girls so we can move this along.”

 

~~~~

 

“Come on, Lexa! Kick her ass!” Lexa has her hands up near her face, watching her opponent. A tall girl by the name of Ontari spits blood on to the floor and wipes her nose, “That all you got, bitch?” 

 

“Trust me, I'm full of piss and wind. Let's go.” Lexa moves closer and Ontari tries to punch Lexa in the stomach. Moving quicker than the girl, Lexa grabs her arm and twists it behind her back and punches Ontari twice in the face and watches her go down like a sack of potatoes. Spitting near the ground she's laying on, Lexa puts her foot on Ontari’s chest,

 

“Don't EVER take shit that isn't yours.” She turns her back and walks away. Her usual crew follow behind her, “Holy shit, Lex. That was badass. She's gonna be messed up for a while.” Echo was Lexa's right hand woman. Always there to back her up when she needed her. 

 

“Yeah Lexa, that was pretty fucking great.” Lexa laughs as she high fives Luna. Luna was just as crazy as Lexa was. She could take you out with one punch and was fast too. And then there was Roan. The silent and broody type but would back Lexa up in a second. This was her Kru. Tree Kru as she called them. They were unstoppable and they were the only family Lexa needed. 

 

Being in the foster system since 4 years old had taken its toll. Lexa was a hardened child of the state and couldn't wait until she was 18. Two years and she would be out of this shit hole with her Kru and they would be free to do what they wished. She wipes her face of blood and feels her nose is tender and she has a black eye starting to form. She turns to head up the stairs to the porch only to find Anya leaning against a post.

 

“What did she take?” Anya lifts Lexa's chin and assess the damage.

 

“Mom's necklace.” She holds the necklace out to show her sister and Anya simply nods.

 

“The ice bitch called us up. Apparently they found us a place to stay.”

 

Lexa sighs, “So they can kick us out in a year or two. We've been fed the same bull shit for years now, An.”

 

Anya nods, “I know, but I would rather you have a roof over your head and food in your belly than to be kicked out because they need room. Let's go check them out.”

 

“Whatever you say, An.”

 

Anya grabs her sister and puts her in a headlock, “Don't fuck it up for us with your angsty teen shit.” 

 

Lexa pushes her sister off, “Whatever, you're ruining my toughness and making me look weak.” 

 

Anya looks down from the porch at Lexa's ‘Kru’. She scoffs, “Remember, I started you little band of misfits. They know who the boss is.”

 

Anya drags Lexa into the house and they walk into the office. Both girls immediately notice the large, hulking man standing behind a stoic looking woman. 

 

“Anya, Lexa, I would like to introduce you to Indra and Gustus Forrester. And their son, Lincoln. They will be your new foster family, Anya. Please go pack your bags. I'm sorry, Lexa but you will be staying here. 

 

Lexa gives a shocked look to her sister and just as Anya is about to protest, the stoic woman named Indra stands quickly from her chair.

 

“I've already told you, Ms. Queen. I was told I would be taking two children into my home. It is clear that these two girls are sisters and my family is more than happy to take them both in. They are obviously being mistreated here. I see that Lexa has been involved in a fight. So I don't care whom you call, both of these girls will be coming home with us by the end of tonight.”

 

Lexa and Anya are left speechless. Anya has a new found respect for Indra. Lexa, however, is more reserved. Why would this woman bother sticking up for them? There was more to the story than they knew and Lexa sure as hell wasn't going to fall for it. 

 

~~~~~

Lexa was not happy. She was being taken away from her Kru and forced to move to the smallest city in the world, Polis. Population 3238. Well, now 3240 if you counted Lexa and Anya. She felt betrayed by her sister. Anya seemed so excited to be leaving with this...strange family. Wasn't Lexa enough family she needed? 

 

Anya has a smile on her face, a real, genuine smile. Lexa hasn't seen her smile in a long time. But when she did, Lexa knew her sister was happier than she'd been in a long time. She stares out the window and thinks quietly, two years. That's all she needed and then she could leave. Be free of people. After all, people only brought pain. Lexa learned from her first foster father, Titus Flamekepa, that love was weakness. It was only designed to weaken you and then destroy you all together. 

 

And Lexa had been destroyed plenty of times. Take Costia for example. The girl who first stole her heart. She was everything to Lexa and Lexa had loved with everything she had. But in the end, she lost Costia to an abusive step parent. It was hard, but from that day onward, Lexa never let anyone get too close. Besides Anya. And look where that got her. Sitting in the seat of a mini van, staring out at the road, and headed to a city she knew nothing about. This was going to suck. 

 

After another thirty minutes, Lexa feels a hand shaking her awake, “Lex, come on. We're here.” Opening her eyes, the brunette yawns and stretches. She takes a look at the house and hears Gustus, “Welcome to your new home, ladies. I hope you like it.” He takes off his seatbelt and stretches when he steps out of the car.

 

“Don't worry about him. He grows on you I promise. My dad looks scary but he's a big teddy bear. Kinda like me I guess.”

 

Lexa looks at him, “You're okay with two total strangers living in your house?”

 

“Well, I mean yeah. There's nothing wrong with it. I'm happy with my parents decision. You may not be, but I hope you give them a chance at least.”

 

He gets out of the car and Anya stops him, “I'm sorry about her. She's a little pissy. You know, all that angsty teen shit.” 

 

Lincoln laughs and Lexa rolls her eyes and steps out when he talks, “It's okay. But I wasn't wrong in saying I hope you give them a chance. They've provided a lot for you girls already. They weren't sure how to prepare. My mom is the strict one. Just… don't cross her. She knows how to handle business.”

 

Anya nods, “Fully understood. My sister and I don't want to overstep.” 

 

“Nonsense, you guys are welcome here. Come on, my parents are excited to show you your room.” 

 

Anya thumps Lexa on the head, “Ouch! What the fuck?!”

 

“What did I tell you, Lexa? Don't fuck this up for us.”

 

“You moved me far away from my friends, to a home with people who probably have a hidden agenda. And you don't want me to fuck things up? What happened to you?”

 

“Oh great and wise commander, your idiot friends are only 20 minutes down the road. And they go to the same fucking school we're about to go to.”

 

Lexa feels dumb but she won't let Anya know that, “Whatever, I'm done having this conversation.” She grabs her bag from the back and walks to the house. Anya can only sigh in frustration. How could Lexa not see the opportunity here? There was so much potential and that girl cared more about some stupid Kru than herself. Grabbing her bag, she follows silently behind Lexa and slowly takes in her surroundings.

 

It's a two story house, a very large and beautiful two story house. Anya looks at it and her mouth drops open, “Holy shit.” Lexa glances back and her sister's expression is just as shocked as her own. They walk inside the house and notice the spiral staircase right away. Then they take in the grand hall and sitting in the middle of it was a piano. Something that Lexa loved to play. 

 

She shakes her head, no. These people had a motive. Lexa couldn't let herself get caught up in the spoils of this family. 

 

Indra is standing at the edge of the piano, “While my husband and son get dinner prepared, I figured I could show you girls around.”

 

Lexa is shocked and her mouth moves faster than her brain did to tell her to shut up, “What? No maids or butler to do your work for you?” 

 

“Lexa!” 

 

Indra holds a hand out, “That's quite alright, Anya.” She turns her cold gaze upon Lexa and Lexa feels as though hell has frozen over, “I can promise you, Lexa, in this house, we have no maids or a butler to do our work for us. It's a big home but we all do our part. I believe in working hard for what you've got. And you seem like you'd understand that motto.”

 

Lexa was speechless. No one had ever talked to her in that way. She had to admit she was a bit terrified of the woman. Anya can only smirk and laughs louder when Lexa flips her off. Indra is already walking up the stairs and the girls rush to meet her before getting lost.

 

“Lexa, this is your room. I figured you'd like the view.” She opens the door to the bedroom and Lexa is shocked once again, “This… is for me?” She could got three of the rooms at the halfway house inside this one alone. In the center is a four poster king sized bed. To the left of her is a desk equipped with a laptop and all the necessary school supplies. To the right was her very own bathroom. She didn't have to share with anyone.

 

What really got Lexa going was the fact that there was a balcony. She walked over to it and opened the French double doors. Stepping out, Lexa has a clear view of the backyard and forest area surrounding the house. It was going to be beautiful to see the sunrise and sunset. Lexa had to fight her emotions. She couldn't trust these people. They'd done nothing to show what they wanted and that scared Lexa.

 

“Anya, if you'll follow me please.” Lexa doesn't want to leave her sister alone so she shoots up and walks with her to the other room. Anya’s room is set up much like Lexa's is. Right down to the desk and computer. 

 

Fighting back a few tears, Anya speaks up, “We've never really had this before.” Indra knits her eyebrows together in confusion, “Had what?” Anya speaks quietly, “Our own room, a bed as big as this one. Any of this.”

 

Indra has never been one to cry but she needs to walk away for a second. She looks at both girls, “Please, make yourselves at home. I've got some things to finish real quick and then I'll show you the rest of the house.”

 

Anya and Lexa nod and go into Anya's room. They sit on the bed, “You really like it here, don't you?” 

 

Anya looks at her sister, “Yes Lexa, I do. She's… not so bad and her husband seems nice enough. He isn't over eager to see what we're doing like some of them. Lincoln seems cool.”

 

“That's the only thing I'll agree to. I don't know about them yet. It's...gonna take a while.”

 

Anya hugs her sister, “I know it is. It's gonna take me a while too, but I'm willing to try and make this work. So please, Lexa. Don't try to get sent back without having given them a real chance.”

 

Lexa hugs Anya back, “Fine, I'll give it a month but if I see anything fishy…”

 

“We leave together. I got it.” 

 

Indra comes back into the room, “Girls? Ready to see the rest of the house? Dinner is after we're finished.”

 

Anya smiles, “Lead the way.”

 

The sisters follow their foster mother through more rooms on the second floor, “This is Lincoln's room. And not that you'll need it, but there's a guest bathroom here." 

 

Indra points to the biggest room possible, “This is our bedroom and my office. If you ever need anything, please don't hesitate to knock on the door or to let yourself in if the door is open.” She takes the girls downstairs and points at a spare bedroom just off the grand hall, “That's Gustus’ office. Lincoln likes to do a lot of his homework in there.”

 

Lexa is confused so she questions, “Why?”

 

Indra smiles and they walk into the room and shut the door. Anya and Lexa learn immediately why it's his favorite room. It's quiet. So quiet you can't even hear the sounds of the kitchen. It made it a great place to study.

 

Lexa notices all the paintings in the house. She's not an artist but she can name a few of the Picasso's and Monet’s. They're beautiful and she has to ask.

 

“What exactly do you and your husband do?”

 

Indra is about to answer when Gustus comes into the office, “Oh! Sorry, I didn't know the room was being used, I'll go.”

 

“Gustus, mind telling the girls what we do for a living?”

 

Gustus turns back and moves his beard a little, “Well, my beautiful wife here was a Marine and when she… retired, she became the best lawyer for people in the military. As for myself, I own a very successful dojo. You might have heard about it? It's called Grounders.” 

 

Lexa and Anya both smile, “No way! Lexa and I love that place!”

 

“Yeah! The training and everything is intense. We walked by one day and wanted to join. But…” Anya finishes her sentence,

 

“It was too expensive.”

 

Gustus smiles, “You girls could have come in. If you would still like to, I would be happy to show you around?”

 

Lexa and Anya couldn't believe it. This was more than they could handle right at the moment. 

 

“Okay, dear. We have overwhelmed them. Finish dinner while I finish showing them around. We'll be there in a minute.”

 

Gustus smiles, “I'll see you all soon.”

 

Indra shows the girls into the living room. There's a huge television mounted to the wall with almost every gaming system known to man. There were plenty of games to keep anyone busy for days, even months. The girls then notices a bookcase full of DVD’s. Lexa and Anya can only stare at each other in disbelief.

 

“This is our living room. We like to gather as a family at least once a week and play some games or watch a movie. We get so busy sometimes, it's nice to talk with each other and catch up. You're welcomed to join us.”

 

Lexa and Anya can only nod. Indra leads them downstairs into the basement. The girls notice two doors, “This door is also Lincoln's favorite room. We had it made when Lincoln brought home his friends.” 

 

Lincoln comes down laughing, “Mom, they aren't that bad.” Indra scoffs, “Please, you delinquents are just terrible to deal with.” 

 

Lincoln goes to the door, “Welcome to Theater Forrester.” He opens the door and turns on the lights. 

 

A chorus of, “Holy shit” can be heard from the sister's mouths. It was a fully equipped theater. There were recliner seats and a huge screen that came down. Lincoln smiles, “My friends and I like to hang here. We'll watch movies and stuff. We aren't exactly the biggest party type people.”

 

Lexa scoffs, this was going to be a boring place to live. People who didn't party? Anya can already see the expression on her sister's face and punches her arm, “Ouch, Anya knock it off!”

 

Indra and Lincoln look confused but don't push the girls. Indra leads the way out of the theater and to the next door, “This is the garage. You girls are welcome to any of the cars or bikes we have in here. As long as you each have your license. I can teach you and so can my husband. Lincoln isn't so bad either.”

 

Lincoln yells out, “Thanks, Ma!” Indra and her son share a laugh and Lexa's eyes zero in on the beautiful baby she sees. She would know it anywhere. It was a 2013 Cleveland Cyclewerks make known as the Heist. It was only Lexa's dream bike. Indra smiled.

 

“I figured you'd be a motorcycle type of girl. It's yours if you'd like it.”

 

“I'm sorry, what?” 

 

Indra laughs, “Lexa, I'm being honest when I said you could help yourself to anything. Please, it's yours but on two conditions.”

 

Lexa is wide eyed, “What's that?”

 

“You must always wear the proper safety gear, that means a helmet. And you need a license for this bike.”

 

Lexa smiles and pulls out her wallet, “Not to worry. That's one thing my sister and I fought for. We each have our licenses for motorcycles and cars.”

 

Anya shows Indra hers as well. Indra hands both ID’s to the girls, “Very good. Now I don't know about you girls, but I'm starving.” 

 

Lexa and Anya follow behind Indra and Lincoln. Lincoln laughs, “I hope you girls like steak and potatoes.”

 

Lexa couldn't believe it. Where had she and Anya landed themselves? Yeah, she could make this work for herself until she turned 18. And then she would be out that door with her Kru in no time. 


	3. Who's the new girl?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay guys, not gonna lie, I made Lexa a HUGE asshole. Like even I'm telling myself, "Holy shit man. That's not necessary." But when you're in a place you don't want to be, well...you have a bit of word vomit. Don't worry, I'll tone it down for the next few chapters and then of course she'll be her normal and kind self. Without further ado, enjoy!

“Good morning, Polis! The time is 6:15 in the morning. Today's weather is going to be sunny with slight winds coming in from the east, so a light sweater will do just fine.” 

 

Jake Griffin shuts off the alarm clock and sits up in bed. In an hour, total chaos would ensue so he takes a second to run his hands through his hair and rubs his eyes. He notices the empty spot on the bed and knows Abby had an early shift at the hospital. 

 

He smiles, Abigail Griffin was the love of his life. He married her two years out of high school and they had been together ever since. 20 years and he had a beautiful daughter to show for it. Clarke Griffin was 16 and was his pride and joy. She was smart and dedicated. Never allowing her money and family name to get her anything in life, Clarke worked hard for everything she had. He was proud of his daughter not taking the easy way out.

 

He stands up from the bed and stretches, wincing as he hears his bones crack. Man he felt old. 40 was beginning to take its toll on the guy. He takes a quick shower and gets dressed into black jeans and his favorite, worn in San Francisco Giants t-shirt. He puts on his shoes and looks at the clock one last time. 6:45, he had fifteen minutes before all hell broke loose. Might as well get breakfast started he thinks as he walks out of his bedroom.

 

~~~~~

Clarke walks through the back door and the smell of her father's famous sausage omelette hits her nose, “What's the occasion dad?” 

 

Jake smiles as Clarke passes next to him and kisses her head, “Well, I figured you'd just be coming back from your run, might as well help you bulk up.” 

 

Clarke laughs at her father, “I only run when I need to clear my head. School has me stressed and running sometimes clears my head. Otherwise, I hate all forms of physical activity.” 

 

Jake laughs this time, “Ain't that the truth. 5...4...3…” 

 

“Dad?”

 

He holds up his finger, “2...and…” He points where the front door is and they hear, “We're back, bitches!!!” And in comes the person behind the voice, “Hi everyone.”

 

Clarke laughs, “Hey, O.” 

 

“It's a pleasure Octavia.” 

 

Octavia laughs nervously, “Haha… sorry, Jake.”

 

Jake smiles, “No harm, no foul. Clarke, go shower because your handful of delinquents are going to be here to eat me out of food. And I can't handle them alone.”

 

Raven comes in through the door and catches the end of the conversation, “That's not true, Mr. G. We're not all bad.” She opens the fridge and pulls out a soda while resting her legs up on a chair.

 

Jake can only watch in disbelief, “Clarke, I mean it. Go before the rest get here. I cannot take too much of this alone!” 

 

Clarke laughs and takes her shirt off to throw it at Raven, “Alright you two, behave for him or he really will kick you out. And he's making his famous omelette today. So you've been warned.”

 

Raven and Octavia take the threat very seriously so they plan to be on their best behavior while Clarke gets ready. 

 

Jake continues making the omelettes with the help of his two adoptive daughters, Raven and Octavia. It never failed, Clarke always brought a new person home and they managed to stay. Why did he need more kids when he had NINE of them that were constantly at the house? He sighs when he hears his door open again and in walks Bellamy Blake, Octavia's older brother and behind him, his boyfriend, John Murphy.

 

Jake had to admit he wasn't sure about Murphy at first. Clarke introduced him one night and he seemed...a little off. He was a very serious kid and a bit of a trouble maker. But he found his home in the Griffin household. Bellamy took to him quickly and the two became inseparable. He smiled at the two boys, “Gentlemen, good to see you both.” 

 

Murphy and Bellamy wave hi, “Something smells good, Mr. G.” 

 

“Did you need any help?”

 

“Actually, Murphy, I would love some. You can help the girls set the table.”

 

Murphy nods his head and dutifully walks to the cabinet to pull out plates and cups while Raven and Octavia pull out forks and napkins. 

As they get the table set up, in walks the rest of Clarke's friends. Jasper Jordan and Monty Green walk in and are talking about...well Jake didn't really care. He sees they are followed behind their significant others, Maya Vie and Nathan Miller. He says hi to them all and they take seats at the table. 

 

Jake hears his phone go off. He finds it in the living room and sees it's a text from his wife.

 

[ **Abbs ❤]** :  _ I'm going to assume all of them are there? _

 

He laughs and responds back,

 

**[Jake]:** _ When aren't they here? And our lovely daughter is taking a long time. I can't deal with them all!! _

 

All Jake gets is a laughing emoji followed by hearts. That's when Clarke finally comes down stairs dressed and ready to go, “Hey dad, everyone here yet?”

 

“Almost, my favorite delinquent is missing. Octavia, where's Lincoln?” 

 

Octavia looks up from serving out breakfast, “He had some stuff to take care of. His family finally got to foster two girls. They are starting with us today.” 

 

“Oh awesome! I'm happy for Indra.” 

 

Everyone agrees with Clarke's statement and they all dig in to eat. Jake watches his daughter and her friends. He never realized how big of a support system Clarke had. They seemed to flock to her and he knew his daughter. She tried to fix every problem even when she couldn't. But he couldn't be more proud of her. And even though they drove him insane sometimes, he loved each and every one of these kids. They held a special place in his heart and he would do anything for any of them. 

 

After cleaning up, his family gathers their things and they head out. Clarke stays behind, “Hey dad.”

 

“Hey Clarke.”

 

Clarke pushes her dad, “I'll be back later tonight. I'm gonna head to the senior citizen center again. Dante has been down lately and I wanna cheer him up.”

 

He smiles, “Good for you kiddo. Go ahead and be safe okay.”

 

“I will dad.”

 

He watches his daughter walk out the door and smiles. Clarke wanted a job and his wife and him agreed she could get one but it had to be part time and couldn't affect her school work. Of course his daughter proved them wrong. Clarke chose the senior citizen center and worked closely with a lot of the patients. Especially an older gentleman by the name of Dante Wallace. Wallace had been in the army and served his country for as long as he could. Jake didn't know what would happen when the man passed away. It would be hard on Clarke.

 

Clarke managed to work 3-4 days at the center but went as much as possible to visit Dante. The two had a bond no one could understand. That man came to life when Clarke was around. He loved to share his stories and Clarke loved to hear them all. It made him feel young again and Clarke grew wiser because of him. 

 

He gathers his bag and keys and figures he'll visit his good friend Gustus to find out how the fostering was going. He locks the door and leaves the house.

 

~~~~~

Once they get outside, Clarke smiles, “Let's get going yeah?” Her friends are smiling with her and they each jump into their respective cars. Clarke puts her stuff away in her jeep and climbs into the front seat. Raven rides shotgun while Octavia sits in the back.

 

“Clarke, are you ready for Sinclair's test today?” 

 

Clarke sighs, “As ready as I'll ever be honestly. I studied as hard as I could. I just don't have the brain for chemistry like Raven does.”

 

“Oh please, you two always stress and yet you both pass the fucking test with flying colors.” 

 

Octavia hits Raven, “Fuck you. You don't have to study for shit. Clarke and I do!”

 

Raven laughs and they continue driving to class. “Hey Clarke, you coming to Lincoln's tonight? It's our movie night.”

 

Clarke makes a turn and sees the high school up ahead, “If I have time sure. But I'm going to visit Dante today after class lets out.”

 

Raven knows better than to push. Clarke was her best friend and she always had her nose in a book. If not then she was at the senior citizen center visiting the old folks there. Raven sometimes wondered if there was a party girl buried deep down under all of...nerd Clarke. Raven smirks at herself, Yeah! Nerd Clarke is perfect. 

 

The girls pull into the parking lot and hop out. They meet with their respective friends and gather around Clarke's jeep. They are enjoying the spare time until there's a loud rev of an engine and in comes speeding a crazy woman on a motorcycle.

 

Clarke and her friends watch in amazement as the girl finds a parking spot. She hops off the bike and that's the moment Clarke was doomed. Although, she would never admit it.

 

The girl removed her helmet to show long, chestnut colored hair flowing over her shoulder. Green piercing eyes that Clarke felt drawn to for some reason. Like they held a story no one else was willing to read. She had on a leather jacket and black skinny jeans that hugged her curves in all the right ways. And a necklace hanging around her neck. Clarke wanted to know what it was. 

 

The green eyed mystery girl makes her way towards Clarke and her friends. As she steps closer, Clarke is about to say hello when the girls speaks.

 

“My, my, my, you've got some good earth cleavage, princess.”

 

Clarke's mouth drops open in shock, “Excuse me?”

 

The mystery girl smirks, “I don't think I need to repeat myself, sweetheart.”

 

“First off, I'm no one's sweetheart. And secondly, you can go fuck yourself!” Clarke storms off and her friends follow behind her. 

 

Once inside the classroom, Octavia and Raven look at her, “You okay?” Clarke shakes her head, “How rude. Seriously?? What the fuck.” She turns her gaze outside and notices the mystery girl standing with Roan, Echo, and Luna. Of course she would be friends with the worst possible people. Those guys were nothing but a terror to Clarke and her friends. 

 

Clarke keeps her eyes on them until the bell rings, “Alright guys, I hope you've all got your thinking caps on. Because I've been a nice teacher and decided to let you guys off the hook. The test will be moved to next Friday.”

 

Octavia, Raven, and Clarke sigh with relief. Sinclair was a Godsend some days. Before Clarke can fully relax, she hears the door open and Sinclair speaks up, “Alright class, part of the reason I've moved the test to next Friday is to give our new student a chance to catch up and study as well. Please give a warm welcome to Lexa Woods.”

 

Clarke tries not to grow too angry. She notices it's the stranger from just a few minutes ago. Lexa Woods. And to make matter worse, Sinclair doomed Clarke for the rest of the year by saying the words she wished he hadn't.

 

“Why don't you take a seat next to Clarke. Clarke, raise your hand please.” 

 

Stifling a glare at her teacher, she raises her hand and sees the brunette trying not to laugh. Lexa walks to the seat and flops down, “Looks like it's just you and me sweetheart.” 

 

Clarke glares even more, “Mind your own business, sweetheart.” 

 

“Oh, the princess does speak without curse words.”

 

“For your information, I'm not a princess. If you don't mind, you can stop calling me that.”

 

“Nah.. not sure that I will, princess. The name suits you.”

 

Clarke tries to stay calm but grows livid, “Fuck you.”

 

Lexa can't pass this up, “Mmm, tell me when and where, princess. I would be glad to.” 

 

Clarke's mouth drops open and she gets up from her desk and walks out. Sinclair is confused. 

 

Raven stands up, “Hey, maybe you should quit being such a bitch.” She chases after Clarke.

 

~~~~

Lexa didn't want to be here. She wanted to skip school today but Anya made her get up anyway. There was no way Indra would be okay with her staying home or ditching for that matter. Feeling altogether pissed off, Lexa simply takes her class schedule from Lincoln, slides on her favorite leather jacket, tightens her riding boots and climbs on her bike. 

 

Speeding away without so much as a goodbye has Anya feeling hurt but she lets it go. Lexa will come around eventually. She looks at Indra and Lincoln, “I'm sorry about her. You have to understand it's hard for her. We've been in the system since I was 5 and she was 4. I don't remember my parents all that much but I have a few early memories. Lexa doesn't have any. She's… we're both… just trying to adjust.”

 

Indra looks at Anya, “You don't need to apologize to me. I understand you two had it hard. And I may never know to the full extent but you and your sister are welcomed here.”

 

Anya smiles a little and says goodbye. She takes Lincoln in the 1967 mustang GT that Anya fell in love with. Lincoln looks at Anya, “I don't mean to pry, but why are you more willing than your sister to be here?”

 

Anya looks at him, “It's none of your business. But I will tell you that Lexa and I have always been together. But one year… well…. We weren't together and she became even harder than I was. That's all you're getting.”

 

Lincoln nods, “I can accept that. Well, I hope you enjoy class. Later tonight you'll get to meet my girlfriend and her friends.”

 

“Ah, the delinquents I've heard so much about.”

 

“The very same.”

 

Anya speaks up using the same line Lincoln had used, “I don't mean to pry, but if none of you are troublemakers, why are you called delinquents?”

 

Lincoln responds, “It's none of your business…”

 

Anya laughs out loud and Lincoln joins in as he continues, “We make quite the trouble when we're together. Monty and Jasper make the best moonshine. Raven makes things blow up honestly. It's scary.”

 

“Raven sounds interesting.”

 

“Raven...is Raven.”

 

~~~~~

Lexa pulls up to the school and speed her way into a spot. While she gets off her bike, she notices blue eyes staring at her. A deep ocean blue. Not that Lexa was comparing. 

 

As she takes her helmet off, Lexa sees the blonde checking her out. Of course Lexa loves every minute of it. Deciding to take a chance, Lexa does the same. The blonde owner of blue eyes had her hair in a wavy bun. It suited her. She was wearing a black Ramones t shirt and Lexa had to admit, the girl had a nice set of boobs. She also noticed this girl had some of the newest brands  sneakers, phones, and watches. A total princess.

 

Walking up to the girl, she puts on her most charming smile, “My, my, my, you've got some good earth cleavage, princess.”

 

She hears the blonde's friends stop talking and stare at her. Lexa has never been more amused. The blonde girl was shocked and spoke to Lexa, “Excuse me?”

 

With a smirk, Lexa replies, “I don't think I need to repeat myself, sweetheart.”

 

The blonde spits out angrily, “First off, I'm no one's sweetheart. And secondly, you can go fuck yourself!” Lexa is amused. The princess was a little spit fire. Watching her and her friends leave, Lexa walks on campus and spots Roan. 

 

“Hey, Roan.”

 

The big hulk of a man turns around, “Lexa! You made it. Hey guys! Lexa is here!” 

 

Echo and Luna surround Lexa and they all begin to talk. Lexa tells them about the run in with the blonde. Luna laughs, “You met Clarke. She is a big princess on campus. Her mom's a doctor and her dad is some sort of engineer.”

 

Lexa laughs, “Of course she is. Let her come to our neck of the woods. She wouldn't last a day.”

 

The bell rings and Lexa walks with her friends to class. They drop her off but she doesn't go inside right away. God she hated it here. There were so many jocks and preps that it was suffocating. She takes a deep breath and walks in to hear the teacher, “Alright class, part of the reason I've moved the test to next Friday is to give our new student a chance to catch up and study as well. Please give a warm welcome to Lexa Woods.” 

 

Lexa was never good with introductions. She stood awkwardly in front of the class as they stared at her like she was an alien.

 

The teacher, Sinclair she learns, speaks up, “Why don't you take a seat next to Clarke. Clarke, raise your hand please.” 

 

Clarke was in this class too? Talk about one hell of a year. She notices the blonde glaring in her direction as she raises her hand. She's really trying not to laugh. Lexa walks to the seat and sits in the desk, “Looks like it's just you and me sweetheart.” 

 

Blondie wasn't having it, “Mind your own business, sweetheart.” 

 

“Oh, the princess does speak without curse words.”

 

“For your information, I'm not a princess. If you don't mind, you can stop calling me that.”

 

“Nah.. not sure that I will, princess. The name suits you.”

 

What Lexa doesn't expect is two words that come out with so much malice, “Fuck you.”

 

Lexa can't pass this up. Clarke made it too easy, “Mmm, tell me when and where, princess. I would be glad to.” 

 

She watches Clarke walk away so quickly that even the teacher is confused. Before she can say anything a Latina stands up and tells her, “Hey, maybe you should quit being such a bitch.”

 

Lexa laughs when she watches the Latina chase after her blonde friend. Today was shaping up to be a wonderful day after all.


	4. The adventures of Dante Wallace and Clarke Griffin, featuring the misadventures of Lexa Woods

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay guys, here it is. I hope this chapter is good. We get to take a look at Clarke and her encounter with Dante! I also added a bit more to the plot with Lexa. I mentioned what Clarke did but not Lexa. There is brief mentions of fighting but nothing more than that. The next chapter will be another Clexa encounter. This story is really starting to take off. I am having such a good time making these characters come to life. Without further ado, enjoy!

“Clarke, wait up!” Raven is chasing after the blonde. Finally seeing Clarke slow down, Raven catches up to her.

 

“Where are you going?”

 

“Raven, that girl is...HORRIBLE! She has no sense of self control! I just… I need to go. I’ll try to make it tonight to Lincoln’s, but right now, I’m ditching class and going to visit Dante. I haven’t seen him in a few days.”

 

Raven understood Clarke. That girl was just plain rude. She also knew that Clarke had a special bond with Dante Wallace. Raven met the older man and could see why Clarke was so charmed by him. He had a way of talking that made you feel...happy. It was the only word Raven could use to describe him. She hugs her best friend.

 

“You know the school is going to call your parents for ditching, right?”

 

Clarke smiles, “Raven, I get straight A’s and I’m always home reading some book or other. My parents are okay with me ditching every now and then. It’s not like I do it very often.”

 

Raven hits her friend, “That’s where you’re a lucky bitch. Unlike myself, my mom needs to know everything in my life. I swear she still times how long I take in the restroom.”

 

Clarke laughs as she walks towards her car, “Go before you get in trouble. Let O and everyone know?”

 

“You know I will. Be safe, Clarke. And give Dante our love!!”

 

Clarke watches Raven leave back to class and she herself heads to her Jeep. Once inside, she starts her car and drives off. Polis Highschool becomes a small image in her rearview. As she drives along the freeway to get to the center, her phone rings. 

 

“Hello?” Abby’s voice comes through Clarke’s speakers, “Clarke, I just got a call from the school that they saw you leave today.”

 

Clarke sighs, “I’m headed to visit Dante, mom. I had a bad morning and didn’t want to deal with it. I’ll be going back tomorrow.”

 

She can hear the background noise of the hospital and she knows her mom is on lunch. Hearing her mother sigh, she says, “Okay, sweetheart. Just don’t make this a habit, okay?”

 

Clarke smiles, “You know I never do, mom. I’m gonna head over to Lincoln’s tonight with the other delinquents and watch a few movies. I might crash there too.”

 

“Okay, Clarke. I’ll let your father know. We’ll see you tomorrow. Be safe and text us when you get to Lincoln’s.”

 

“I will mom. Love you. Enjoy lunch!”

 

Abby hangs up and the music comes through Clarke’s speakers again. As she gets closer to the center, she has to wonder why that Lexa girl was so rude. And what was with the name princess? Clarke had always hated being called that. She wasn’t a princess. Sure, her parents made good money but they didn’t flaunt it. Clarke had always been taught that you work hard for what you want. Which is what she had done. The watch was a simple gold Casio. One that she had saved up for when she first started working at the Center. Her phone was the Samsung Galaxy S8+. She had begged her mom to let her upgrade but Clarke herself had paid for it. Clarke even made sure to give her parents money for her half of the bill. Clarke didn’t need all the latest and greatest technology. 

 

Shaking her head, Clarke pulls into the familiar parking lot and smiles. She grabs her bag and opens the door to her Jeep and walks into the building. The name always bringing a smile to her face, “TonDC Senior Citizen Home”. Clarke never understood why she enjoyed it so much but she did. Maybe it was because of Dante. Once at the main check in, Clarke sees a tall and young looking man. His name was Jackson and he had been working here for six years. He and Clarke became good friends when she started working here. Jackson was a medical student at the local college. He used this job to help pay off some of his student loans. 

 

“Clarke?” Jackson looks at his watch, “It’s only  9:30? Did something happen at school?” 

 

Clarke sighs but smiles at Jackson’s concerned expression, “A girl named Lexa is what happened. She is a total...ugh! Anyway, don’t want to talk about it. Could I go back and see him?”

 

Jackson knew better than to push. If someone bothered Clarke this much, then he knew not to ask for details. He smiles and buzzes her in, “He’s doing better today. Even ate all his breakfast.”

 

“That’s great! It’s the oatmeal he loves more than the eggs.” She starts to walk through the doors.

 

“Yeah, the doctors are still thanking you for that one!”

 

Clarke laughs and walks down the hallway. She stops by each room on her way down, “Good morning Mrs. Kane. How are you doing today?”

 

The woman sitting in the bed smiles, “Clarke! I’m doing so well. Marcus  is visiting me today and is bringing my favorite tree! Oh I’m so happy about it. Stop by before you leave?”

 

Clarke smiles, “I wouldn’t miss it for the world! I really want to see that Eden tree you’ve been talking about.” Clarke almost melts at the smile Mrs. Kane gives her.

 

“Oh you remembered the name, dear! Yes, yes, please stop by after your visit with, Dante.”

 

Clarke is walking away, “I will!” She makes her way down and stops at the next room. She peaks in to see an older gentleman watching television. She walks in and smiles, “Jaha, I thought the doctor said no more reality television?” 

 

“That’s what I told him, but he doesn’t listen to me.”

 

Clarke jumps up scared, “Holy crap, Wells. I didn’t see you there!” Wells Jaha was the son of the man sitting on the bed. Wells had to admit his father into the nursing home after he took a bad fall. But his son never left his side. He would visit every day he could. Clarke and Wells became close friends. He loved to play chess and found the perfect match in Clarke. The two could play a game for hours. Both had the strategic mind to play the game. He stands up and laughs, “Sorry kid. Didn’t mean to do that.” Clarke hugs him back.

 

“Would you two let an old man live in peace? It’s the only form of entertainment in this damn place!” 

 

Clarke laughs, “Well, Jaha be careful because TV like that can rot your brain.”

 

The older man laughs and hugs Clarke as she gets close to hug him. Once she finishes her small talk with Wells, Clarke makes her way to the last room. A woman by the name of Diana Sydney was supposed to be in the room but when Clarke stops in to say hello, she sees Doctor Cartwig cleaning up the sheets.

 

“Dr. Cartwig?”

 

The woman looks up, “Clarke, hey! I was wondering when you would be in. Dante is getting ready to see you. Said he couldn’t wait for his visitor.” 

 

Clarke can only half smile, “What...happened with Ms. Sydney?”

 

Doctor Cartwig grows a somber face, “Clarke, we knew she was going to go soon. She...had a small stroke and went peacefully in her sleep.”

 

Clarke doesn’t mean to but she cries. Diana Sydney was a tough woman to crack. After all, she had served in the army as the youngest female nurse during WWII. She survived the bombings on D-day, and even made it all the way to Germany. Clarke felt sorry for Diana because her kids just dropped her here and never came by to visit her. She was lonely and scared. So Clarke did what she does best and went in everyday to say good morning. At first, Diana would get angry and tell Clarke to leave her alone. But after two months, Clarke got the older woman to crack. Clarke loved the woman to pieces. Learned all her stories and was impressed by everything the woman had done.

 

It was hard whenever Clarke heard someone passed away. In her two years working here, she had lost 4 people. She didn’t mean to let it happen, but Clarke always got close to the patients here. They had so many stories to tell and so much advice to give. All they wanted was a little time and conversation. 

 

Wiping her eyes, Clarke takes a tissue that Doctor Cartwig hands her., “I’m sorry, Doctor. I was just hoping I’d have a few more months with her.”

 

Doctor Cartwig pats Clarke’s back, “I know, dear. It’s tough but she’s in a better place.”

 

Even though Clarke wasn’t religious, she had to believe that the people she had come to care for were off in a better place where they were young again. With a final goodbye, Clarke makes her way to Dante’s room. She walks in and hears Dante’s favorite singer, Frank Sinatra, coming through the small stereo he had. She knocks on his door and he turns around.

 

“Clarke! Oh it’s so good to see you! I told them that I would have a visitor today. I needed to get ready.”

 

Clarke laughs at the white haired man in front of her, “Sure you were getting ready to see me, Dante. I’ve seen you give Mrs. Kane that flirtatious smile.”

 

Dante puts his hand to his chest,”You mean, Vera? Oh please. I would do no such thing.  I was only ever in love with one woman and I married her. I was married to her for 55 years before she passed.” He smiles as his mind takes him to a far away memory. 

 

Clarke smiles, “You’ve told me that before. When am I going to hear an actual story?” She walks over to the man and takes the brush he has in his hands and combs it for him. He simply smiles at her.

 

“I’ll tell you the stories when I think you’re ready to hear them. Also, your eyes are puffy. You heard about Diana?’

 

Clarke can only nod her head in agreement and Dante puts a hand on hers, “My dear, we can only live for so long without being tired. And some days, we get tired and we just know when it’s our time.”

 

The blonde stares at the old man sitting in front of her. She has always loved Dante’s advice because it really helped her to feel better. But this one didn’t. She shakes her head, “You’ve still got a million years ahead of you, old timer.” Dante lets out a laugh, “You’re absolutely right! Now let’s go! I see a game of Scrabble in our future.”

 

Clarke laughs as she wheels him out of his room and into the common room to play a few games.

 

~~~~~

Lexa watches the same Latina girl who ran after her blonde friend come into the classroom. Blondie is nowhere to be found. Did the comment really bother her that much? Lexa shrugs her shoulders, oh well. It wasn’t her fault that the princess didn’t like being called for what she was. The teacher drones on and on until finally the bell rings and she is up and out of her seat in a flash. Waiting for her outside are her normal group of friends. Lexa watches the Latina push her way out of the classroom when Echo pushes her against the wall. 

 

“Where’s your princess at to protect you, Raven?”

 

So that was the girl’s name. Raven simply glares at Echo, “I don’t need any protection.”

 

“That’s not what I heard.” Roan is leaning against the wall and Raven glares even more. She looks over to Lexa, “Why don’t you call off your lap dogs?” 

 

Echo is two seconds away from doing something but Lexa speaks up, “Back off, Echo. She isn’t worth your time.” 

 

Echo lets Raven go and the three watch as the Latina makes her way down the hall. 

 

“What was that for? That girl blew up an experiment and spilled it all over me. She needs payback.”

 

“Like I said, she isn’t worth your time. She’s friends with the princess anyway. Who knows what might happen if she tells the princess. It’s my first day and as much as  I hate it here, I do not want to get expelled on my first day.” Luna catches up with the rest of them and they all walk to Lexa’s next class. Looking at her schedule, Lexa notices that it’s math. Math is a horrible subject and she looks at her friends, “Why don’t we get out of here, yeah?”

 

They all cheer and Roan speaks up, “Finally! I know exactly where to go.” 

 

They move quickly and are getting closer to the parking lot when she notices the Raven girl talking to her friends. She overhears her telling them, “She’s such a bitch. Lincoln, I’m sorry you have to live with her.” Lexa doesn’t stop to try and hear more. She wasn’t here to make friends. She was here to please her sister. But right now, all she wanted to do was please herself. Hoping into Luna’s car, the four of them leave. Roan gives directions of where to go and in half an hour, they find themselves at a warehouse.

 

“Roan, where the fuck did you take us?”

 

He smiles, “I have money bet on Lexa that she can take down those people in a fight. Ladies, welcome to fight club.”

 

Lexa looks around at all the people gathered here. There are men and women who look like amature UFC or WWE fighters. She didn’t want this. Her idea of fun was going out and just hanging with her friends. Before she can protest, she can hear  Luna and Echo cheering her on, “Yeah Lexa can take anyone down.”

 

Lexa sighs, this isn’t what she wanted, but if her Kru wanted to be here, then the commander had to toughen up and stick it through. The brunette watches Roan go to who she assumes is the leader. He comes over and reeks of alcohol. He slurs his words as he talks.

 

“It’s a forty dollar buy in. You compete in six rounds. There are no rules except that you can’t talk about what we do here. If you win and we like you, you’ll get a text for each new location and fight we have.” 

 

Lexa is listening and she doesn’t show it on her face, but she is terrified. What was Roan getting her into? The man continues to speak, “Try not to miss a fight. You get more money when you fight each time and win of course.” Lexa looks at her friends. They were cheering her on. With a smile on her face and the full support of her friends, Lexa nods her head and watches as Roan gives the man forty dollars. 

 

“Alright, Lex! Let’s get you ready and hyped up. You’ve got six rounds and at a forty dollar buy in, if you when them all, we walk away with $240 dollars!”

 

“My, my, my, I like the sound of that, Roan. We can put it away and save up for when we all ditch this town.”

 

Roan smiles at her and pulls her into the crowd. They all sit and watch the fights fights. Some of these people were brutal. There came that fear bubbling in Lexa’s chest again. She knew her friends wouldn’t put her in something that she couldn’t handle. She hears her name and trying to silence the fear, she stands up to the center of the warehouse. In front of her is a tall woman. Lexa’s eyes widen at how buff she looks. It didn’t matter. This girl, and all five other opponents were going down. 

 

~~~~~

“Triage, and that Clarke gives me a triple word score!” 

 

Clarke sighs, “Dante! You cheated! There is no way you managed to beat me again!”

 

The white haired man laughs, “Cheer up, kid. You are getting better each time we play.”

 

Clarke laughs at his comment and starts to put the game away, “Well, I’ve had to learn quick because you are a scrabble tycoon.” She stacks the game back and notices the time. It’s almost 4. Her days go by faster and faster when she comes to visit him. Dante sees the time as well and he smiles softly at her, “Well, I think it’s time you get going.”

 

Clarke hugs him, “I work tomorrow so don’t you worry. I’ll be back soon. And before I forget, Raven and the group send their love.” Dante smiles at that, “Tell them I love them back. And Clarke?”

 

She looks up from gathering her things, “Hmm?”

 

“Don’t let that Lexa girl get the better of you next time. You’ve got a good head on your shoulders and you are not a princess. She will only use it if you show her that it bothers you so much.”

 

She hugs the old man again, “I’ll try, Dante. I know I overreacted but it just got to me. It reminded me of what her so called friends use to call me growing up. And the worst part, she seems like a nice girl but she is so good and pretending to be tough. I don’t know…” She lets the rest of her thoughts disappear and says goodbye one more time. She walks out and says goodbye to everyone. She makes sure to stop by Mrs. Kane’s room. She meets her son, Marcus and falls in love with the Eden plant. 

 

She says her goodbyes to them and then to Jackson. She calls her parents to let them know she is headed to Lincoln’s house for the movie night and sleep over. Once she pulls up, she rings the doorbell and is let in by Indra, “Clarke, everyone is in the theater. Go ahead.” She hugs the stoic looking woman and smiles, “Thanks, Indra. Is...everything okay?”

 

What Clarke doesn’t expect to hear is Indra saying, “I’m fine, dear. A little worried. Our foster child, Lexa, skipped class today and her sister Anya hasn’t been able to get a hold of her. I’m worried and so is she. But I trust she’ll come back eventually.”

 

Not only was Lexa Woods taking over her school, the green eyed woman would be taking over Clarke’s social life as well. And she had a sister to boot. This was going to be one hell of a night. She could only hope that Anya wasn’t as rude as her sister was. She walks to the theater doors and takes a deep breath. Here goes nothing.   


	5. The secrets Lexa hid in the night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **WARNING** There are mentions of past abuse for both Clarke and Lexa. When you start to read Lexa looks down at Clarke's hands working quickly, “What happened?”, you can skip to this part Lexa looks at Clarke, and Clarke notices the flecks of brown in her eyes. Also if you start to read Titus...my foster father was terribly mean, you can skip to Lexa stiffens when she feels Clarke's arms around her. Please take care of yourselves Okay? I want you all to not be triggered. I care about each and every one of my readers and your well being so if it's too much, please do not read. 
> 
>  
> 
> Guys! So sorry i missed the update yesterday. I meant to have the chapter out but between work and being a college student, yeah.... didn't go as planned. This chapter I had a bit of writers block and the best way to get over it is to just keep writing. So towards the end, it gets better but then I couldn't figure out how to end the chapter so I did my best. Please don't be so hard on me? Without further ado, enjoy!

Raven is minding her business walking out of class when she gets pushed into a wall and finds Echo pinning her. Of course the girl couldn't let go of the past. Raven apologized as much as she could for the science experiment going wrong and exploding all over Echo. It had been an accident but the girl had other plans.

 

What Raven doesn't expect is Lexa to actually listen to what she had to say. The green eyed girl looked at Raven with something close to compassion and when Echo let her go, she went to find her friends. It wasn't hard. They were on their way to the next class.

 

Raven holds her lower back and Octavia becomes protective, “What happened?”

 

“Echo and Roan is what happened.Apparently she's still pissed at me for the last experiment.”

 

Bellamy comes up holding hands with Murphy, “Where's Clarke?”

 

Raven sighs, “That new girl...said some stuff that made Clarke leave. She's with Dante.”

 

The group all came up at that point and heard the conversation. Lincoln speaks up, “Does the new girl have a name?”

 

“Yeah, Lexa. Why?”

 

“That's… one of my new foster sisters. Her older sister Anya is here too.”

 

They all hear cheering and notice Lexa and her hooligan friends are walking towards them and headed off campus. Raven makes sure to state loud enough, “She's such a bitch, Lincoln. I'm sorry you have to live with her.”

 

Raven notices Lexa looking at her. Lincoln shakes his head, “I think she's just got a lot going on, Raven. Even her sister isn't that bad. She's pretty funny actually. You'll all get to meet them tonight. I just hope you all get along.”

 

The day passes by in such a blur that Raven finds herself in Bellamy’s car with Octavia and Murphy. They had gone to the store to pick up some snacks and drinks for the movie night. As they pull up to the house, Raven sighs.

 

“What's wrong?”

 

“O… I don't want to deal with assholes tonight. I get enough at home and I'm not an ass.”

 

Octavia smiles, “You're an ass. You're just loveable.” 

 

“Haha, thanks O. That makes me feel a lot better.”

 

Octavia pats her friends hand, “Come on. Let's go meet the new girls. Maybe Lexa isn't as bad as she seems.”

 

They walks to the door and ring the doorbell. Usually Lincoln, Indra, or even Gustus answers the door but today, today a goddess opens the door and stares at Raven. Raven can't help herself.

 

“Holy cheekbones!” The girl standing at the door looks confused for a second but a smile forms, “Not that I'm not flattered, but who are you?”

 

Raven feels her heart speed up, “I'm Raven. Raven Reyes.”

 

“Oh, so you're Raven. The one who blows things up.”

 

Raven smiles, “One in the same. You must be Anya?”

 

“You guess correctly. I'm assuming you're all here for tonight?”

 

“Yes, we are. But give me a chance and I'm pretty sure you and I can have a party of our own.” She gives Anya a signature wink at the end.

 

Anya laughs, “Hold on there, squirt. I'm a bit old for you.”

 

Raven laughs this time, “I've always been a fan of older women.” She raises her eyebrows a few times and has Anya laughing even more.

 

“I like you, Raven. Come on in. Anya holds the door open and Raven follows after her as she walks down the hall. Bellamy, Murphy, and Octavia all look at each other. “What...was that?”

 

Murphy laughs and walks inside, “That Octavia, was Raven trying to woo Lincoln's new foster sister.” 

 

Bellamy follows after Murphy and Octavia closes the door behind them. They file into the kitchen to find Indra and Gustus making dinner. Octavia sees Lincoln sitting at the table. She walks over to him and kisses his cheek, “Hey you.”

 

Lincoln beams, “Hey yourself. How's your day going?”

 

“Well better now that we're together again.” 

 

Indra smiles, “Octavia, please come help with dinner? It's almost ready and I wish to eat together as a family.” 

 

Octavia smiles, “Of course! What can I do?” 

 

With Octavia, Lincoln, Bellamy, and Murphy all somehow helping in the kitchen, Raven and Anya are sitting back watching. Raven notices that Anya is constantly checking her phone. 

 

“Worried about your sister?”

 

Anya looks up, “Lincoln told me about today and Indra got the call that she skipped her first day.” Anya sighs.

 

Raven doesn't know the girl sitting in front of her all too well but she puts a hand on Anya's shoulder, “I'm sure she's okay. Lexa… seems like she can handle herself.”

 

“That's what I'm worried about.” 

 

~~~~~~

After dinner, Indra cleans up and puts the leftovers away. She leaves two plates out. One for Clarke and one for Lexa. Her stomach churns. Lexa's been gone for almost an entire day. Where was she and who was she with? 

 

Shaking her head, Indra tries not to worry. Maybe Lexa was just with some friends. Indra starts to clean up more. She begins to wipe down the counters in the kitchen and is lost further in her thoughts. Anya was more willing to give this place a chance. Yet, Lexa wasn't. What confused Indra the most is that both girls were attached at the hip. It seemed as though when one made any sort of decision, the other would follow with true devotion. 

 

But when it came to living here, Lexa wanted nothing to do with it and Anya wanted everything to do with it. This was going to be a disaster if Lexa wanted to leave. It would be the ultimate betrayal. Indra is so deep in her thoughts that she gets startled when she hears the doorbell ring. With her heart in her stomach, Indra can only pray it's Lexa. She opens the door and sees Clarke standing before her. “Clarke, everyone is in the theater. Go ahead.” She moves out of the way to let the girl in but Clarke has always been a reader of microexpressions, “Thanks, Indra. Is...everything okay?”

 

Indra knows she can't hide the truth. Clarke always had a way of finding things out, “I’m fine, dear. A little worried. Our foster child, Lexa, skipped class today and her sister Anya hasn’t been able to get a hold of her. I’m worried and so is she. But I trust she’ll come back eventually.”

 

Indra notices Clarke's expression go from happy to upset but chooses not to press the matter further. She lets Clarke make her way to the theater. Indra is so worried about Lexa that she forgets to give Clarke her plate of food.

 

~~~~~~~

Clarke opens the theater doors and hears one of her favorite movies playing. It was an old 1950’s film called,  _ Auntie Mame _ . She walks down and notices every one sitting together on the lounge chairs. Usually she sits with Raven seeing as both girls are single but today, there's someone in her seat. 

 

The blonde stands up, “Hi. You must be Clarke.” 

 

“Hi. You must be… I'm sorry I don't think I ever got your name.”

 

Anya smiles, “Anya, Anya Woods. Raven...filled me in on what my sister did. I apologize for that. She can be a bit of an asshole. I don't know what's gotten into her.”

 

Clarke smiles but only a little, “At least you're a bit nicer than her.”

 

Anya looks at Clarke, “I do ask that you be...weary of what you say about Lexa. While she may have been very wrong in what she said, I still won't hesitate to back her up.”

 

Oh Clarke and Anya would get along very well. Anya was almost just as stoic as Indra was. It was going to take a little bit but Clarke hoped Anya would become a new member to their group. She couldn't help but notice the way Raven was looking at her. They make eye contact and Raven mouths the words, “Hot as fuck.”

 

Clarke has to stifle a smile as she watches Anya sit down next to Raven. Clarke takes an empty lounger chair and unfolds a blanket that Octavia hands her. She sits and relaxes from the day and watches as all her friends enjoy themselves too. It's nice knowing she had these people. These were true friends. But for some reason, Clarke's mind wandered towards Lexa. Why was the girl so angry? And what story was hiding behind those jade green eyes?

~~~~~

 

Lexa looks at her phone. There are 7 missed text messages from Anya, 10 missed calls from Indra, and one call from Gustus. Shit! She didn't realize how late it was until she looked at her phone. It was 2:30 in the morning. Anya would kill her before Indra even got the chance to. Luna pulls up to the house and all three of her friends look out.

 

“Shit Lexa. Can I move in with you?”

 

Lexa laughs and pushes Luna’s head forward, “No! This is just temporary. You guys are my home.”

 

Echo laughs, “To the champ who managed to win all 6 fights and $240 bucks to get out of here!”

 

Her friends all cheered and she hops out of the car, “Guys shut up before I get caught!”

 

They say goodnight and drive off. What no one else notices is Roan sitting in the back with his phone out making a deal and preparing more fights for Lexa.

 

Lexa walks normally until her friends are out of sight. That's when she feels everything. Echo was right, she had won all 6 of her opponents but they fought back harder than Lexa had ever known. They got some good hits in. Lucky for her, none were on her face. But her body was pretty beat up. She felt like her ribs were on fire and she had to limp. The last girl she faced kicked her hard in the leg that it went numb. 

 

Lexa takes out the key that Indra had made her and very quietly unlocks the door. There was no need to try and sneak in. Indra knew she had ditched school. She could deal with her. It was Anya that had her worried. Walking in, she closes the door behind her and quietly walks down the hall. Just as she gets to the foot of the stairs, she notices a figure coming from an unknown room. 

 

“Holy shit!!”

 

“What the fuck?!!”

 

Both girls manage to scare each other and yell in surprise. Lexa takes her phone out and flashes the light, “Oh. It's just you.”

 

“You're lucky it's just me. I'm assuming your sister would kick your ass.” 

 

“Listen, Princess. You don't know my sister and what she'll do.”

 

Clarke laughs and folds her arms across her chest, “So her repeating, ‘I'm going to kick her ass’ was just how you guys show affection?”

 

Lexa flares and moves quickly to head upstairs but she moves too fast and nearly falls. Clarke is quick on her feet and catches her. She barely touches Lexa's ribs when she hears the brunette let out a whimper.

 

“What did you do to yourself?”

 

“Nothing, just leave it be.” 

 

Clarke sighs out of frustration and takes Lexa's hand and drags her up the stairs.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

“Which room is yours?”

 

“I'm not telling you that.”

 

“You want me to drag you into Indra’s room and let her deal with you?”

 

Lexa listens to Clarke and points to the door that belongs to her. 

 

“Thank you.” Opening the door, she pulls Lexa inside the room, “Sit.” Lexa isn't one to listen but for some reason, Clarke's voice sounds… compassionate? It intrigues Lexa because she had to admit that she was an uber asshole to the blonde. She watches Clarke leave the room and enter the guest bathroom. When she comes back, Lexa is amazed by the arsenal the blonde has in her arms. There's everything from bandaids to gauze. Clarke even managed to find a few bandages.

 

“Where did you get all that?”

 

Clarke snorts, “You really don't know where you're at do you? Indra was in the military. A lot of this is from her medic bag. And Gus, well he owns a dojo and trains Lincoln and the rest of us. We're bound to beat each other up sometimes. So we are always prepared.”

 

“You're telling me that YOU train with him?” 

 

Clarke looks at Lexa with a serious expression, “Yeah I do.”

 

Lexa can't believe it, “Who forced you into it?”

 

Before Clarke answers, she opens up an alcohol swab and notices that Lexa's lip is split. When she begins to dab at it, Lexa winces. The brunette didn't realize she had gotten hit in the face. She continues to clean it and blue eyes bore into green ones as she speaks.

 

“When I turned 13, as you can tell, puberty was nice to me in all assets. I grew used to the attention from guys and girls alike.”

 

Lexa snorts this time, “Of course you did.” Clarke pushes a little harder with the swab and Lexa swears, “Fuck!” 

 

“Let me finish my story, yeah?” 

 

Lexa nods her head and Clarke continues, “Well when I entered my eighth grade year, a boy named Finn really took a liking to me. He was sweet and had floppy hair that made the girls crazy for him.”

 

Lexa nods, “Your typical fuck boy?”

 

Clarke genuinely laughs and Lexa isn't sure about the fluttering in her stomach at the sound, “Yeah...you could say that.” Clarke then looks at Lexa's knuckles. They are bruised, bleeding, and swollen from Clarke can only assume is a fight. She opens an even bigger alcohol swab. She sprays hydrogen peroxide on Lexa's knuckles and notices the girl barely even wince. 

 

“Are you going to continue?”

 

Clarke nods and continues tending to Lexa's knuckles, “Well… he asked me out and of course, I said yes. But in the end… he showed his true colors. He was rude to my friends and made mean jokes. He also managed to cause a huge fight between me and Raven but we worked it out. After 4 months, I had had enough so I broke up with him. But...he wasn't having it.”

 

Lexa looks down at Clarke's hands working quickly, “What happened?”

 

Clarke sighs as she moves to Lexa's other hand and begins the same process of cleaning it out, “He...stalked me. Wouldn't leave me alone. Everywhere I went, he somehow ended up being there. And then one day...well… He grabbed me and…”

 

With the way Clarke stops talking, Lexa can only assume the worst, “Clarke, he didn't…”

 

Clarke shakes her head, “He...tried but Lincoln walked in and beat the shit out of him.”

 

Lexa looks at Clarke, and Clarke notices the flecks of brown in her eyes. Lexa doesn't normally give too much compassion to anyone but she takes Clarke's hand in hers. The moment their fingers connect, Clarke and Lexa both feel the jolt of electricity. Lexa speaks softly, “I really am sorry that happened, Clarke. You don't deserve that. No one does. Is that why you take Gustus’ classes?”

 

Clarke nods, “I joined and since then have the tools necessary to protect myself. I will NEVER be that helpless again.”

 

Clarke and Lexa stare at each other for a long moment. Both girls just enjoying the silence. Clarke speaks up, “You gonna tell me how you got these? Or am I going to have to guess?”

 

Lexa tries to get up but winces because of her ribs, “None of your business, Princess.

 

Clarke pushes Lexa back into a sitting position, “Shirt off now.”

 

Lexa half smiles, “You wanted to see me naked, princess all you had to do was ask.”

 

Clarke sighs again, “Let me see your ribs, dumbass.”

 

Lexa lifts her shirt and Clarke looks at the taut muscles. Clarke shakes her head, now was not the time to be checking Lexa out. Clarke barely touches Lexa's ribs and she's already hissing in pain.

 

Clarke laughs again, “Big bad Lexa can't take a little pain?”

 

“I can take pain just fine.” Lexa doesn't mean to but it slips out, “I've had my fair share, princess.”

 

Clarke looks at Lexa and the brunette appreciates the blonde's silence. She doesn't understand what makes Lexa continue but listens to her anyway, “It's always been just Anya and me. I was 4 and she was 5. We always looked out for each other. One day… two families came in and took us away from each other. We had to fight to be with each other again but… I'll never forget that year. Titus...my foster father was terribly mean.” She absentmindedly touches a scar on her arm, “He was drunk when it happened. I guess I made him so angry with me...he just had to throw the bottle. It hit the wall above me and shattered. A few of the pieces making contact with my skin. He did...more but it's not something I want to talk about.” 

 

Lexa stiffens when she feels Clarke's arms around her, “Lexa, I'm sorry about that. But I can promise that here… no one will ever do that to you.”

 

Lexa wipes a tear that managed to slip out, “Everyone has motives, Clarke.” She watches the blonde take a large bandage and start to wrap it around her.

 

“Nothing is broken. But you have two bruised ribs. I can only assume by how badly you're hurt, you went to a fight club.”

 

Lexa's heart beats fast, “Shit. You can't fell anyone, Clarke. Swear it.”

 

“Whatever, Lexa. You want to continue being an idiot, then be my guest.” 

 

Lexa gets mad at the comment and when Clarke finishes wrapping her up, “What are you, princess? Some sort of doctor?” 

 

Clarke scoffs, “My mom is. And I hope to be half as good as she is. So yeah, I guess you could say that I am.”

 

“Of course you are. You just have everything going for you don't you, princess? Even your job is going to give you money. Not like you've ever needed it anyway.”

 

Clarke gets angry at this point. Gone is the feelings she felt earlier, “And just like that, the asshole is back. You know what Lexa, you don't know everything you think you do. Life isn't always just rainbows and butterflies for me like you seem to think. But whatever.”

 

Before she can storm off, Lexa stops her, “Princess, don't breathe a word of this to anyone.”

 

She flips Lexa off as she walks out of the room, “Your secret, although stupid, will stay a secret.” She closes the door behind her and Lexa changes carefully out of her pants and into some shorts. Laying down she curses herself, what the fuck, Lexa! You share your saddest memory! Ugh!!” She brings her hands to her eyes and rubs them before finally going to sleep. And while she lays there, her mind makes her dream of a certain blonde with piercing blue eyes and a kind touch. 

 

~~~~~~

Clarke really thought she was getting somewhere with Lexa. Yet, Lexa managed to prove her wrong. As she makes her way back into the theater where everyone else is sleeping, she thinks back to Lexa's kind words. How gentle she had been. It wasn't very often she showed that side of herself. But Clarke liked that part of Lexa. She could hope to see it again. As she tucks herself in for the rest of the night, Clarke can't help but dream of a younger version of Lexa who was carefree and wasn't so jaded by the world. Who knew what their future had in store.


	6. Maybe they aren't so bad after all?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys!! I'm so sorry I've been lacking on my updates daily! But I'm pretty busy at the moment. So expect either day to day updates or every other day updates! That's my promise to you all! This chapter is a bit shorter because I wanted to get it out to you all. But be prepared. The next few chapters are gonna be...epic. Without further ado, enjoy!

Three weeks had passed. Lexa wasn't sure how she managed to do it but here she was, three weeks into living with the Forrester’s. She stares at herself in the mirror as she gets ready for school. She guessed living here wasn't so bad. Okay so she was lying to herself. Living here was amazing. Anya seemed to be a little more open now than before. And Lexa was happy for her sister. Anya was always getting messages from the Latina, Raven. Raven seemed to make Anya smile like an idiot. It was different than what Lexa was used to but she didn't mind. Anya deserved to be happy.

 

She takes off her pajama shirt and notices the wrap that Clarke put on when she had caught her sneaking in. Lexa was happy that the princess bad kept her word. None of it was mentioned to Anya or the Forrester family. Lexa didn't really conversate with Clarke much after that night. She didn't want to risk being that open again. Clarke had come by a few times to check on her bruises and make sure they were healing well enough. 

 

Lexa had finally been able to breathe normally for about a week now. She wanted the stupid bandage off, it made it hard to move around much on her bike. But she kept it on at the blonde's warning, “You either keep this on for another week, or your bruised ribs become broken ones. Don't move so fast that you don't let things heal.”

 

The comment struck Lexa in a way that made her really think. Don't move so fast that you don't let things heal. Had Lexa done that with more than just her wounds? Was she so quick to move on and find the next thing that she couldn't focus on herself? Nah, what was she thinking?

 

Lexa shakes her head from the silly thoughts and grabs her leather jacket and riding boots. Putting both on, she goes downstairs and sees Anya on her phone.

 

“Isn't it too early to be smiling like an idiot?”

 

Without missing a beat, Anya snaps back, “Isn't it too early to be a little shit?”

 

Lexa laughs at her sisters comment and sits down with a bowl in her hand, “Pass the cereal please?”

 

Anya passes Lexa the box of lucky charms and the milk and Lexa pours herself some. As she begins to take a bite, Gustus and Indra round the corner followed by Lincoln. Gustus smiles at the two girls sitting before them.

 

“I wanted to ask you girls something. And please feel free to say no if you're not comfortable.”

 

Lexa stops eating and looks at the tall man and Anya puts her phone down, “Sure, Gustus. What's up?”

 

Gustus claps his hands together and Lincoln stands next to his father, “Today my son and his friends are coming in to the dojo for some more training. How would you girls like to join today's lesson?”

 

Lexa drops her spoon into her cereal, “You mean… you want us...to go to Grounders?”

 

Gustus lets out a booming laugh, “Of course! You two girls are more than welcomed in my dojo! I'll start you off in the beginning lessons and we'll see how well you girls progress so I can get you into other classes.”

 

Anya smiles at her sister, “We would love that! If...I may, what class is Raven in?” 

 

Gustus and Indra both give each other a look and a smile when he answers, “She is in the intermediate class. Hard physical training and sophisticated moves. Octavia and Clarke though are in the Hard level classes along with Lincoln. Those girls train harder than anyone I've ever seen. And I don't know how Clarke does it. She spends most of her time studying and reading but...she's always one step ahead of the class. If you girls make it there, you'll be sparring with them.”

 

Lexa feels a smile creep onto her face, a chance to knock the princess on her butt a few times sounded like a great idea, “We'll be there, Gus!”

 

What Lexa fails to realize is that everyone stops and stares at her. She didn't call him so formally like she usually did. Instead she had used his nickname. Gustus smiles fondly at it and Indra hugs him. She clears her throat and Lexa looks up from her cereal. 

 

“After today's lesson, please meet us at the Giffin household. We are having dinner with Clarke's parents tonight. Lexa, if you'd like, you can invite your friends too.”

 

Lexa can't help but smile a little. Indra tried her hardest to make Lexa feel included and it was...different. 

 

“Thank you, Indra. But I don't think my friends will be able to make it. Plus… I don't want to scare the Griffin’s. My friends are a handful.”

 

Lexa looks confused with herself, where had that come from? She never cared about anyone's opinions of her Kru. Shaking her head, she puts her bowl in the sink and grabs her backpack, helmet, and keys.

 

“I'm going to head to school. I'll see you after school at the dojo. And then tonight for the Griffin dinner.” She waves goodbye and walks out the door. 

 

Anya smiles one more time at her text, “I'm headed out too. Linc, you riding with me?” 

 

Lincoln smiles, “Yeah! I'll be out there.”

 

Anya nods and waves goodbye to the family standing in front of her. 

 

Lincoln looks at his parents, “I...think they are starting to come around.”

 

Gustus smiles and hugs his son, “I agree. Lexa called me Gus. I'm… happy. Those two girls are starting to make an impact on our home. I love them to pieces already.”

 

Indra hugs her son, “So do I. I just hope we haven't been too much on them. We have a visit in a month and if they aren't happy here, they go back. I hope they stay. They've made our family bigger and our house has never felt more like a home.” 

 

Little do they know that Lexa and Anya had both hidden well enough to hear their conversation. Both girls walk out quietly and have smiles on their faces. It felt nice to have someone who cared about you. And these people did. They loved Lexa and Anya. 

 

Lexa rides to school and Anya drives with Lincoln. Both girls hoping that this was it. That this was finally the home they were looking for. Lexa didn't doubt herself for a second until she got to school and saw her friends.

 

The misfits that Anya had created. They were her family. They were what Lexa had when she felt like there was no one there. How could she just walk away from them? No. They had plans to get out of this town. Lexa had her choice made for her. She was happy but she couldn't stay with the Forresters for more than two years. Her duty sided with her people. 

 

But there was still a small sliver of doubt. And it's not something Lexa would focus on until it became larger than it should. She hops off her bike and meets up with her friends but not before she notices a pair of sky blue eyes staring at her with confusion on her face.

 

~~~~~

Clarke is staring out at the road ahead of her. Jake, her father, was driving her to school today. The jeep needed to have its brakes and oil changed. So, being a dutiful father, Jake had offered his daughter a ride to school and Clarke couldn't say no. 

 

Jake noticed his daughter and realized that her mind was elsewhere. It started three weeks ago when she ditched school and visited Dante. Making a decision, he clears his throat and speaks up, “Have you been to see your old man lately?”

 

This comment pulls a smile out of Clarke and she stares at her dad, “I have. I've been to the center just about everyday for the last three weeks. Dante is pretty sick of me I bet.”

 

Jake laughs, “I doubt that. He enjoys your company too much. Not to mention the teasing you two do.”

 

Clarke laughs this time, “Yeah, we do huh? We make a pretty good team.”

 

Jake smiles, “Clarke, you never told us why you didn't stay in class that day you left. And when you got back from Lincoln's, you seemed really...upset about something. I don't mean to pry, I just want to ask if everything is okay?”

 

Clarke smiles, her dad always did that. Made sure his daughter was okay and asked if she needed to talk. He didn't demand it much like her mom did. This was why they had such an amazing relationship. Not that her relationship with Abby wasn't good, her father just tended to understand her more sometimes.

 

“You're not prying, Dad. And I left because some...girl… called me a name and said some rude things. I know I overreacted but it bothered me so much. And then…” 

 

Jake noticed the hesitation, “Clarke?”

 

Sighing, Clarke reluctantly continues, “It's Lexa. Indra’s foster daughter. She's the one who told me that stuff and then the night at Lincoln's, she was hurt pretty bad so I bandaged her up. We talked...on a deeper level and I thought I saw a spark of the person I think she is. But she has this...this… asshole persona that she hides behind. And I don't have the heart to tell her that her so called friends don't care an ounce about her. She has to learn on her own. It just bothers me, Dad. We were getting somewhere and she… just closed up.”

 

Jake takes a moment to process what's been said to him. Clarke waits knowing she's just thrown everything onto her father. After a moment, Clarke notices they pull up to the high school and Jake pulls over. He looks at his daughter and smiles.

 

“Clarke, from what Gus told me about the girls, it sounds like they had a hard life.”

 

Clarke interrupts, “But dad, her sister Anya is literally the coolest and scariest person I've ever met. I even think Raven and her may date soon. But that's besides the point. What I mean to say is that there are people out there who have it worse. Who have had it worse and they aren't assholes.”

 

He nods his head, “You're absolutely right, Clarke. But each person handles it differently. Some become a walking robot while others still wear their hearts on their sleeves. It's hard to find a happy medium. Lexa just needs to adjust and solve things out for herself. You can't solve everyone's problems baby girl. You may think you can but you can't. She's going to have to learn herself and if it's the hard way, then it's the hard way.”

 

Clarke smiles a little,  “I've complained about her to Jackson and Dante since she came here. They think she's got no manners but that I can never judge a book by its cover.”

 

“Exactly, now go. You're ruining my street cred.” Clarke laughs loudly at this comment and climbs out of the car. 

 

Jake watches his daughter meet up with her friends and then sees a motorcycle fly by him. He watches it park and sees the girl step off and he laughs to himself. Because standing at a distance is a very confused Clarke staring at this brunette. As soon as he sees it, he knows. His little girl is about to have her heart stolen and ripped out by the mysterious Lexa. And he hopes that Lexa will come to her senses to keep it safe. 

 

~~~~~~~

Clarke notices Lexa come in on her bike. She doesn't mean to but she finds her eyes glued to the brunette as she walks over to her friends. Octavia is the first one to say something, “Umm...earth to Clarke?” 

 

Clarke snaps out of it and looks at Octavia, “Sorry, O what's up?” 

 

“I was just saying tell me at lunch what you got on your exam? Sinclair is handing them back today.”

 

Clarke nods and they walk together to meet with the rest of the delinquents, “For sure. I'm pretty confident we passed.”

 

Raven hears this and laughs, “We most definitely did pass.” 

 

Clarke isn't sure why, but she wants to talk to Lexa again. She couldn't be sure, but Clarke felt as though there was a sadness to Lexa that no one seemed to pick up on. Not even Lexa's friends. 

 

Clarke walks into class and watches as Lexa walks in on time today. “Okay, class. Let's start by passing back the tests. You all seemed to do fairly well.” 

 

As he walks through handing back papers, he hands one to Lexa and speaks quietly to the two girls, “It may seem that you two were tied for the second highest grade.”

 

Both girls look at Lexa's test and then Sinclair hands back Clarke's. Lexa had a 97% and Clarke had a 98%. Clarke was surprised. She didn't think Lexa cared enough to pay attention and study to pass a test. 

 

Lexa notices the surprise on Clarke's face and smirks, “What's the matter, princess? Thought I was dumb?”

 

“We'll, no I didn't think that. I just thought a court jester idiot didn't have enough balls to pass a test like this.” Clarke's comment sets the class laughing and Lexa looks at Clarke with a dumbfounded expression. 

 

Clarke has a large smile on her face and Lexa had to give her credit. It was a quick and witty comeback. But Clarke was smiling at her. It made Lexa's stomach feel funny again like when she heard Clarke laugh. She shakes her head. What was going on with her today?

 

The rest of the day goes by without a hitch. Lexa stays in her classes and Clarke stays in hers. Afterwards, the bell rings and both girls are walking to their respective group of friends. Lincoln has a large smile on his face as he passes by Lexa.

 

“Ready for today?”

 

“As ready as I'll ever be.”

 

Roan speaks up, “What's pretty boy doing here?”

 

Lincoln glares, “Hello, Roan. I'll see you later, Lexa.”

 

Echo looks at Lexa, “What's gotten into you?”

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

“Lexa, you're talking with Lincoln now? And don't think we haven't all noticed the googly eyes you give to the princess there.”

 

Lexa sighs, “Fuck you. I haven't done shit. Now get off my back will you?”

 

Roan laughs and Echo is seething. Just then, Lexa has a brilliant idea. She decides to piss Echo off more, “I'll see you guys later.” 

 

They watch Lexa approach Clarke's group and Luna can't help but smile. She didn't mind Clarke's group of friends. It was Roan and Echo who seemed to hate them so much. 

Lexa can over hear Lincoln, “Yeah, my dad is setting Anya and Lexa up for some one on one with us today. They seem excited and so did he. He wants to know what they've got.”

 

Lexa clears her throat and all eyes turn on her, “Wow. Talk about intimidation. Clarke, I noticed your jeep isn't in the parking lot and was curious if you wanted a ride? You are going to the dojo, right?”

 

Clarke doesn't know how to respond and neither does her friends. This was as close to nice as they got from Lexa. Not wanting to pass the opportunity, Clarke smiles, “Sure. I've never ridden on a motorcycle before.”

 

Lexa doesn't know why the feeling of happiness courses through her but it does, “It's quite freeing princess. Whenever you're ready?”

 

She watches the blonde hand Octavia her backpack and she says goodbye to them. Following Lexa to her bike, Clarke can't help but notice the shocked faces from Lexa's group of friends, “Your friends are staring.”

 

Lexa laughs and Clarke feels fuzzy at the sound. She wanted to hear it again, “Yeah well, a court jester idiot is giving the princess a ride. They're gonna deal.” 

 

Clarke smiles at that, “Look at you. Finally having your own thoughts.”

 

Lexa smiles a crooked smile. Clarke doesn't know why but it made her weak in the knees, “Princess, I've always had my own thoughts.”

 

Clarke frowns and Lexa wonders why until the blonde answers, “Then who convinced you for fight club?”

 

Lexa stays silent, now wasn't the time to discuss things. She takes the helmet and hands it to Clarke, “For your protection. Just don't tell Indra I rode without it.” 

 

Clarke laughs as Lexa climbs on and gestures for Clarke to do the same, “I'm not telling Indra a lot of things but maybe invest in a second helmet?”

 

Was Clarke flirting? Lexa smiles another crooked one, “Plan on riding again?”

 

“We'll see where the future takes us hmm?”

 

“Sounds good to me, princess. Here. Wrap your arms around me and hold on tight.” 

 

Clarke does as she's told and both girls feel it. It's an electric shock almost and it feels good. Almost as if Clarke's hands were always meant to be around Lexa. They each dismiss it. As Clarke holds on tighter, Lexa revs the bike and they ride out of the parking lot. 

 

Raven and Anya had seen the whole encounter and Anya smiles, “Your blonde friend seems to be good for my sister.”

 

Raven laughs, “I hope your sister straightens out. Or she won't have much of a chance.”

 

Anya looks at Raven, “Do I have a chance?”

 

Raven stops, “It depends if you want to take it.”

 

“Then here goes nothing, Raven, would you…”

 

“Yes!”

 

“You didn't let me finish asking?” 

 

Raven laughs and grabs Anya's hand, “I didn't have to let you. Come on, let's get to the dojo.”

 

Things seemed to be going well for the Woods sisters. Maybe… just maybe, things weren't so bad at all.


	7. When the going gets tough, the tough get going

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **WARNING** Mentions of past abuse. When you start to read The family seemed cool. But they weren't. Please skip to Clarke hugs Lexa and Lexa cries. Like I said, please you beautiful readers, take care of yourselves. I want you to enjoy my story without the fear of being triggered okay?
> 
> You ready guys?!! This chapter and the next two are going to be a roller coaster. I'm warning you now! Without further ado, enjoy!

Lexa pulls up to the dojo and climbs off. Clarke follows suit and both girls miss the feeling of Clarke's arms around Lexa. The blonde takes her helmet off and smiles, “Lex, that was amazing! Oh man you were right. It was freeing!”

 

Lexa smiles her crooked smile that Clarke starts to feel is reserved only for her, “I'm glad you enjoyed, princess.” She pushed her hair back and heads to the door of the dojo.

 

Lexa holds the door open, “After you princess.” Clarke laughs and walks in, “Why thank you, court jester.” 

 

The two girls walk in together and are greeted by Gustus, “Ah! Just who I wanted to see. I'm assuming the rest of the motley crew will show up soon?”

 

Clarke smiles and hugs the big man, “Yes, Gus. Everyone was behind us I think. Well except Jasper and Maya.”

 

Gustus nods, “Good. He broke one of my training mats last time. That kid has no sense of direction.”

 

Before Lexa and Clarke can answer, there's a small kid running full speed towards Clarke and Lexa. Lexa recognizes him in an instant. 

 

“LEXA!!!!!”

 

She smiles wide, “ADEN!!!!”

 

He jumps into her arms and gives her the biggest hug. Clarke feels the butterflies begin in her stomach. Lexa was all over this kid.

 

“Aden, what are you doing here buddy?”

 

Aden smiles, “I was adopted, Lexa! By this really amazing family and they brought me here to try and train cause I saw it one day and loved it!” 

 

Lexa smiles, “Aden, that's great! I'm so happy you got a home.”

 

Aden smiles again and looks around, “Is Anya here too?” 

 

“She'll be here in a little while squirt. Then you can bombard her too.”

 

Aden notices Clarke and looks at Lexa, “Who is this?”

 

Lexa smiles a crooked smile that has Clarke melting a little, “This is Clarke. Clarke, this is Aden. We were in a halfway house together once.”

 

Clarke has to try and get her thoughts together. She didn't know how much she liked hearing Lexa say her name. 

 

She bends down and holds out her hand, “It's nice to meet you, Aden. Any friend of Lexa's is a friend of mine.”

 

He beams and hugs her, “Cool!” 

 

Before anymore words can be said, he notices Anya walking in and runs to her, “ANYA!!”

 

Anya catches him and spins him around, “Oh my god, Aden!! I haven't seen you in forever!”

 

He laughs, “I was telling Lexa that I got adopted by a nice family! They brought me here cause I wanted to try it out! Why are you guys here?”

 

He notices all the people walking in and he runs back to hide behind Clarke and Lexa. Anya smiles, “There's no need to be scared, Aden. This is Raven, Lincoln, Octavia, Nathan, Monty, Bellamy, and Murphy. These are my friends from school.”

 

He smiles and waves, “It's nice to meet you all.”

 

Anya laughs, “Lexa and I are here with them because Gustus, the owner, took us into his home.”

 

He beams again, “You guys got out too! I'm so happy!” He looks and sees his teacher, “I gotta go. But I'll say bye!”

 

He leaves and the group all smile. Aden was a cutie. Clarke was amazed and Lexa could tell, “What's the matter, princess?”

 

Clarke smiles, “I didn't know you were so kind to kids.”

 

Lexa looks at Clarke, “I guess there's more to me than you know.”

 

Clarke nods her head, “I guess so.”

 

Gustus calls their attention before Lexa has a chance to make a comment. 

 

“Okay boys and girls. Let's get this party started.”

 

Gustus takes them all into a large room and each person pairs up. He calls Lexa and Anya to the center of the room and calls Monty, Raven, and Clarke over. 

 

“Anya, Lexa, who would like to go first?” 

 

Anya steps forward, “I will. Gotta show the baby here who the better fighter is.”

 

Lexa only laughs and lets her sister go first. Gustus motions for Monty to step forward. He clears his throat and speaks up, “Okay, no hitting in the face. I want this to be a fair fight. Go easy on her Monty.”

 

Monty laughs and gets into his stance. Anya steps into hers and smiles. Gustus puts his arms down, “Fight!” 

 

Monty doesn't spare a second and goes low to sweep Anya's legs out from under her but she moves quickly. They dance around each other and Anya finds her opening. She crouches and manages to lunge onto Monty and drags him to the ground. She has him pinned in less than a minute. Gustus stops the fight, “Amazing! Raven, you're next.”

 

Raven smiles and steps to the mat, “You ready, cheekbones?” Raven smiles and so does Anya, “Anytime, bring it.” Gustus starts the match and the girls dance around each other.

 

“Don't hold back, cheekbones. I know we've got a date but I won't hesitate.”

 

Anya smirks, “Trust me, I wouldn't plan on it.” 

 

Raven steps forward and goes to strike Anya but Anya blocks and pushes her back. Raven comes back and side sweeps Anya's legs but Anya jumps just in time and flips over unscathed. 

 

Everyone watches the fight and is shocked by how well Anya is doing. Raven smiles and strikes once and Anya blocks but leaves her left side open. Raven sees her moment and puts her arm around Anya's unprotected side and stands behind her. She is quick and wraps her legs around Anya's waist and her arms around Anya's chest and pulls her to the ground. 

 

Anya feels herself go down but manages to stay up right on her knees. She finds an opening and slides her hand under Raven's leg and pulls the Latina over her and onto the mat. Raven feels the wind rush out of her and taps out. 

 

Anya smirks, “I didn't hold back. You're pretty good for a smarty pants mechanic.”

 

Raven laughs when Anya helps her up. Both girls are out of breath and Gustus claps, “I won't have you spar with Clarke. I know what class you'll be placed in. And since Lexa is your sister, I'm going to assume she's almost as good as you. So Lexa, please come up to the mat.”

 

Anya smiles as her sister and her grasp each other's forearms, “Show them what you got, Heda.” Lexa smiles at the nick name.

 

“Sha, Anya. You know I will.” Lexa stands on the mat and Gustus smiles.

 

“Clarke, you will be going against Lexa. And don't go easy on her.”

 

Lexa smirks, “Yeah, princess. Don't go easy on me.” 

 

Raven laughs, “Careful, Lexa. There's a reason Clarke trains with Lincoln and Octavia. Don't be cocky.”

 

Lexa laughs, “We'll see.”

 

Gustus has to contain himself. Lexa had no idea what she signed up for. Clarke was good. Better than most of his students who came to him. He holds his hand up, “First one to tap out, loses. FIGHT!!” He puts his hand down.

 

Clarke smiles and watches Lexa carefully, “Don't hold back, Lexa.”

 

Lexa answers lazily, “You either, princess.”

 

Clarke gets closer to Lexa and they dance around each other. Lexa is just trying to be intimidating while Clarke is trying to calculate weak spots. 

 

Lexa grows tired of watching and moves forward quickly with a punch to the right. Clarke blocks and manages to hit Lexa twice in the ribs. Lexa grunts and scoots back. She watches Clarke move forward and Lexa quickly bends down to knock Clarke's legs out from under her. The blonde flips backwards and lands lightly on her feet while Lexa watches in complete shock. 

 

Clarke takes the small opening and kicks her leg out to Lexa's side. Lexa blocks and spins, her fist connecting with Clarke's face. Lexa is out of breath. Clarke was good. 

 

Dazed, Clarke staggers back and Lexa moves forward. She uses her full body weight and lands on top of Clarke. She starts to punch at Clarke's ribs and face.

 

The blonde manages to block most of the hits and somehow manages to bring her leg out from underneath Lexa. 

 

Lexa feels herself falling backwards as Clarke's leg drags her down. Clarke is on top and pins Lexa's hands above her head. Lexa feels a punch to her ribs once, twice, three times. She's out of breath and taps out. 

 

Clarke still pins the brunettes arms over her head, “Not bad for never doing this before.”

 

Lexa smiles that crooked smile Clarke is beginning to like more and more, “If you wanted to be on top all you had to do was ask, princess.” 

 

Clarke laughs and stands up. Her friends all watching the two of them and their sparring. What the girls fail to realize is that they all know what's going to happen. Clarke and Lexa were too stupid to know what was going on, but they had great chemistry. 

 

Raven smirks at Anya, Octavia, and Lincoln, “10 bucks says Lexa caves first and kisses Clarke.”

 

Anya laughs, “I'll wager 10 bucks that Blondie kisses Lexa and admits her feelings first. My sister is stubborn.”

 

Octavia sides with Raven and Lincoln sides with Anya. All four of them shaking on the bet. 

~~~~~~

At the end of training, Lexa and Anya are placed in the highest level class along with Clarke, Octavia, and Lincoln. The Woods sisters are proud of themselves for that. They trained for three hours with Gustus and they had to admit they were sore.

 

Lexa is having some trouble walking to her bike when she hears a familiar voice, “You look like shit.”

 

Lexa flips Clarke off, “I've never done this before.”

 

Clarke laughs and shakes her head, “I know you haven't. But you kept up with us. I hear you're headed to my place for dinner?”

 

Lexa nods, “If I don't die of soreness on the way there.”

 

“What's the matter? Badass Lexa is just a big complainer?”

 

“Oh, very funny princess. So.” Lexa sits on her bike carefully, “Want a ride back?”

 

Clarke smiles, “I thought you'd never ask.”

 

Climbing on, Lexa and Clarke drive off into the night. It takes only ten minutes to arrive at the Griffin household. They only live a few blocks over from the Forrester family. Clarke hops off no problem. Lexa, on the other hand, has to maneuver her way off the bike. Once she's off, she can still see Clarke laughing at her. 

 

Clarke goes to the door and opens it wide enough to let Lexa in, “Welcome to my home.” Lexa looks at the house. It was slightly smaller than Indra’s but still just as grand. 

 

Jake comes down the hallway with Abby following right behind him, “Your father and I thought we heard something.”

 

Clarke smiles and hugs her parents, “Mom, dad, this is Lexa.”

 

Jake holds his hand out, “Nice to meet you, Lexa.”

 

Lexa shakes his hand, “It's a pleasure, Mr and Mrs. Griffin.”

 

Both the adults look at each other, “Please dear, you can call us Jake and Abby. You don't have to be so formal. We're all family here.”

 

Lexa smiles at the man. She can see where Clarke gets her kindness from. Clarke then pulls Lexa down the hall, “Come on, we can get cleaned up in my room.”

 

Lexa smiles and quietly follows behind the blonde. Abby and Jake share a look and Abby laughs, “How long do you think it's going to be before they realize they're falling for each other?”

 

Jake laughs loudly and kisses his wife's cheek, “It's going to be too long.” Just then, the rest of the guests arrive. The delinquents taking Anya to the guest restroom so they could all get cleaned up. Meanwhile, the adults all head outside to begin cooking. Jake was a master griller. Today's specialty was barbequed chicken. 

 

Abby hands Indra and Gustus a beer and sits, “So, how are things going?” 

 

Indra smiles, “I feel as though we are making progress. Lexa… called Gus, Gus.” Abby and Jake smile. The Forresters and Griffins went far back. Gustus and Jake had been college roommates together and became fast friends. Indra and Abby were best friends since childhood and had even served for a while until Indra’s accident. Abby and her both requested to leave the military. Abby became a doctor and Indra stayed with the military but as one of the best defense lawyers. They look inside and notice the delinquents setting up the gaming system. 

 

“Raven and Anya hmm?” Jake can't help but notice them holding hands.

 

Gustus nods, “It's good I think. I'm just curious about Clarke and Lexa.”

 

The adults laugh and all agree. Those two girls were so oblivious. Jake becomes serious for a second, “I don't want either girl getting hurt.”

 

Gustus and Indra nod and Indra speaks up, “I feel like Clarke may help mellow her out a bit. And I don't know why.”

 

The adults leave the topic alone and opt to catch up on their daily lives.

 

~~~~~

Lexa is amazed by Clarke's room. It's got a large king sized bed in one corner and a full sized desk in the other. But what gets Lexa is the art hanging on the walls.

 

“Did you do these?”

 

Clarke is too busy trying to find clothes to change in to, “Yeah. When I have an off day, I'm usually painting.”

 

Lexa is amazed, “Clarke…”

 

The way Lexa says her name has the blonde paying attention in an instant, “Yes?”

 

“You're very talented.”

 

Clarke looks at Lexa, “Lexa Woods, are you...complimenting me?” 

 

Lexa looks at Clarke this time and her blue eye are magnetic, “Yeah… don't get too used to it, princess.”

 

Clarke smiles and the girls unknowingly move closer together. They can hear the door open and know that everyone has shown up. Clarke doesn't worry about it.

 

“Lex, how long did you know Aden?”

 

Lexa smiles, “Since he was 6. He's 9 now. Anya and I protected him from bullies. He was a sweet kid. A big heart. Almost like…”

 

Clarke looks at her, “Almost like… you?”

 

Lexa stares at ocean blue and feels an anchor beginning to form, “Yes. Like...me. But I grew up. Became stronger.”

 

Clarke sits on the bed and motions for Lexa to do the same. She does and they sit close together. Clarke takes a chance.

 

“Lexa?”

 

“Hmm?” 

 

“If...I may ask… why are...you so…”

 

Lexa smirks this time, “You can say it, Clarke. I'm an asshole. You have to become tough sometimes. Anya and I… were separated for a year. That's when I did a lot of growing up.”

 

Clarke looks confused, “If it's not too much, I would like to hear that story?” 

 

Lexa sighs, “We stayed together through all of it. I mean, our social worker tried her hardest to keep Anya and myself together in every place we went to. But one year, we were separated. She went to California and I stayed here. It was the hardest year of my life. Anya was always there you know? Protected me and tried to keep me from seeing the bad. But this time, she wasn't. The family seemed cool. But they weren't. A week into living there, the woman… locked the fridge and kept the key around her neck. We weren't allowed to eat unless she fed us. Some days I went to bed starving because she refused to feed me.”

 

Clarke carefully wraps her arm around Lexa. It gives Lexa a comfort to continue going.

 

“The man didn't… he liked to drink and when I wouldn't clean something the way he wanted, he would beat me until I learned my lesson. I withdrew, Clarke. I didn't talk to anyone. And when I finally got out of there, sitting in the car was Anya. She saw the bruised and held me while I cried. It was from that day onwards that I became cautious. People only wanted one thing and they had ulterior motives to get that one thing. If I kept my heart locked up and checked out, I knew I would make it. And I did. I have friends that love me. And Indra and Gustus managed to take us in.”

 

Clarke hugs Lexa and Lexa cries. The two girls pull apart when Lexa feels like she's cried enough. Wiping her eyes, she stands up, “I'm sorry. I shouldn't have told you any of that."

 

“Lex, I'm glad you told me. I'm here anytime you need to talk.”

 

Lexa laughs, “Thank you, princess.”

 

Clarke stands up and they move closer together. Lexa can't help it. Her eyes move down to stare at Clarke's lips. Were they always so plump? She also notices the beauty mark. 

 

Clarke notices and both girls lean close. Just as their lips are about to touch, Lexa's phone goes off. Clarke jumps back as Lexa curses.

 

“Fuck.” She pulls her phone out and notices it's a text from Roan. 

 

Clarke is already at the door of her bedroom, “Ready to eat?”

 

Lexa keeps her phone out but answers Clarke honestly, “Yeah. I think I am.”

 

Before following her out of the bedroom, Lexa reads the message.

 

**[Roan 7:00 P.M.]** _ There's a new fight. Midnight tonight and the payout is huge if you win. We'll pick you up. _

 

Lexa sighs, she didn't want to do this. But she needed the money if she expected to leave this town with her Kru. Closing her phone, she walks out the door, she was going to win that fight tonight.


	8. Roan, you little shit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***WARNING*** There are fight scenes in this chapter. If you need to skip, then please feel free to skip where the MC announces Lexa to when Lexa hears sirens. Please be safe my readers.
> 
> We did it!!! I'm sorry it took so long to get out you guys but here it is. Without further ado, Enjoy!

**__** __

Clarke really thought she was getting somewhere with Lexa. They had shared a moment. Lexa had opened up and expressed herself. Clarke had to admit she was starting to feel something. She couldn't quite put a name on it yet. No, she wouldn't put a name on it yet. 

 

She knew by the look on Lexa's face that the text was telling her to prepare for another fight. But Clarke kept her promise. She didn't breathe a word of it to anyone. Instead, she ate dinner and tried to enjoy her time with Lexa while she could. Everyone was laughing and having a good time. Even Lexa seemed to be enjoying herself. 

 

Jake, Abby, and Clarke had walked everyone out one by one and watched as they left. Once inside, they started to clean up and Jake smiled, “That was a good dinner. We added new friends and I'll say they fit in pretty damn well with you lot.”

 

Clarke can only shake her head and laugh, “They seem to mellow us out. Raven didn't even try and experiment.”

 

“Which I'm thankful for. Do you know how long it took to clean the last experiment off the roof?”

 

Jake and Clarke laugh at the memory Abby brought up. After everything was cleaned up, Clarke kissed her parents goodnight and walked to her bedroom. It was Friday night so she had the weekend all to herself. Deciding to get ahead and enjoy her weekend, she pulls out her Calculus book and begins to work on the math problems assigned for homework.

 

The blonde puts on some music and opens up her text book. A nice distraction was perfect. Something to get her mind off Lexa Woods.

 

Two hours later at the strike of midnight, Clarke finishes her problems and puts her stuff away. Turning off the music, Clarke decides to put on a movie. She scrolls through Netflix and decides to watch Titanic. It was a time killer and both Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio weren't bad to look at. Settling in, Clarke watches the movie.

 

Just as it reaches the scene where they hit the iceberg, Clarke hears a tapping at her window. Thinking it's the wind, she continues watching the movie. When it becomes more rapid, she gets scared but goes to her window. Pulling back the curtains, she gasps and opens the window quickly.

 

“Holy shit, Lexa! What happened?”

 

~~~~~

Lexa easily sneaks out of the Forrester house and walks the block up the road to her friends. Climbing into the car, Roan laughs, “There she is! The champ!!”

 

Lexa is only partially there. Her mind is on a certain blonde with plump lips and a beauty mark. She had almost kissed Clarke. No. This wasn't good. Lexa couldn't do this. The blonde was...was a princess! She would want nothing to do with Lexa. Lexa was poor and a bad influence. Unlovable even. But she couldn't deny that it felt good when Clarke called her Lex. Or when Clarke would laugh at a joke Lexa told. Somewhere along the way of this past month, Lexa had fallen for Clarke. But she wouldn't do anything about it. 

 

Shaking her head, she looks around her and notices they are in the gaslamp district of Polis. Lexa had to get her head in the game. It was the only way she would come out a winner.

 

“How much is the buy in this time, Roan?”

 

Roan smirks, “It's $240. But it's double or nothing and I know you're going to win us that money.”

 

Luna speaks before Lexa can, “What the fuck? You're betting everything we have on Lexa winning every fight? Not that I don't think you can, Lexa. But even you get tired. It's dangerous. Lexa barely walked out of the last fight.”

 

Lexa looks at Luna. This was new. Luna never spoke up about anything. She would follow instead of speak her mind. It was different and Lexa liked it.

 

“Luna is right, Roan. I mean $240 all or nothing is a bit risky.”

 

Echo chimes in, “Oh come on you two. Don't be such buzzkills. Lexa will be fine.”

 

Roan agrees, “She's right. You'll be fine and we'll be even richer than before.”

 

Lexa sighs, she has a bad feeling about this. They pull up to the spot and step out of the car. Lexa is amazed. There are a ton of people here tonight. There's an MC speaking to the crowd and Roan disappears with Echo. Lexa and Luna watch the fights going on. These people were bigger and better. And there were men fighting women. Holy shit. What had Roan gotten her into?

 

~~~~~

Roan walks up to a guy and hands him the cash, “Is she here?”

 

Roan points to Lexa in the crowd, “That's her.”

 

“Your mother wants my guys to fight her?”

 

“Don't count her out. She's good.”

 

The man laughs, “We'll see. All the money better be in here.”

 

“Has my mother ever let you down?”

 

“Not yet she hasn't. We'll take care of her. Just one question.”

 

Roan sighs, “What now, Emerson?”

 

“Why does your mother want her so bad?”

 

Roan laughs, “You'll see when she gets in the ring. Remember, she'll win on her own. But tell your guys to knock her around a bit.”

 

Emerson gives a sinister smile, “I know just the guy.”

 

Roan gives a nod to Echo, “Call and let her know it'll be done.”

 

Echo gives a phone call, “It's done, Nia.”

 

~~~~~~

Roan and Echo make their way back to Lexa and Luna, “What took you two so long?”

 

Echo laughs, “Luna, there are a ton of people trying to buy in for this set of fights. Roan was lucky he got Lexa in.”

 

The MC speaks into the microphone, “Ladies and gentlemen! Please clear the floor. We're about to start our new round of fights. One competitor against 6 opponents! Who will win?”

 

Roan slaps Lexa on the back, “You're up, Lexa.”

 

Lexa takes a deep breath to settle her nerves and waits for the MC to announce her.

 

“We welcome a new fighter, Lexa!” Lexa walks up and the crowd begins to cheer. They had heard about her last fight. 

 

“And let's not forget our first opponent, Emori!!!” 

 

A woman who is slightly taller than Lexa walks out. She has her long hair back in a bun and tattoos marking her face. She looks fierce and Lexa has to fight to keep it together. 

“Ladies, enter the ring! First one to tap out loses! Begin!”

 

Lexa takes a deep breath to ground herself and holds her arms up to protect her face. The girl named Emori is quick. She runs at Lexa and Lexa dodges with a quick side step to the right. As the girl comes after Lexa again, Lexa sees an opening. She punches the woman in her stomach and she goes down out of breath. Lexa takes a chance and kicks her foot out and hits Emori in the face and she goes flying back. Lexa is on her in a second and pins her arm in an arm bar and pulls. Emori screams out in pain and taps out. 

 

Lexa gets up and is out of breath. She feels the MC lift her arm up, “Lexa is the winner!!” She smiles wide as she notices her friends looking at her with bigger smiles. That's when Roan starts the chanting, “HEDA, HEDA, HEDA!!” The crowd catches on and Lexa is overcome with emotion as she hears a thousand voices yelling her name.

 

~~~~~~

Indra was awake at 2 in the morning. It happened like this all the time. On the anniversary of her accident, she discovered that she couldn't sleep well. Gustus, being the dutiful husband he was, stayed up with her. They went to check on the girls only to notice Lexa was missing.

 

Indra panics but Gustus holds his wife, “Remember, she has friends just like Lincoln has his friends.”

 

Indra grasps her husband's hand, “Yes, but our son has friends who care for him. These… hoodrats that Lexa is with are using her. I fear the worst, Gustus. And I can't have it. Not today.” Gustus holds his wife close and wipes her tears. Indra was a stoic woman. She never cried unless she was hurting to the point of breaking. 

 

~~~~~~

Lexa couldn't breathe. She had gone through 5 opponents and was waiting for number six. Each one, minus Emori, had left their mark on her though. She could already feel her eye start to swell shut from the punch the second lady threw. Her shoulder was tender when the third opponent had her in an arm bar. And she doesn't remember who did it, but in the last two fights, Lexa ended up with a bruised cheek, split lip, and more fractured ribs. How the fuck was she supposed to hide this? 

 

She can't think about it right now. She needs to keep her mind clear. She hears her name being called again and walks up. The crowd cheers and the announcer yells into the microphone, “Ladies and gentlemen!!! What you've all been waiting for!! Lexa has managed to make it to the very last fight!! She will fight against none other than Cage Wallace!!!”

 

Lexa feels her heart drop. She was fighting a man? This man was taller than her and looked incredibly pale. But he also looked mean. Lexa didn't want to fight him but the money was on the line. She steps into the ring and the Announcer starts the fight.

 

Cage doesn't waste any time and Lexa doesn't see it coming. She has no time to block when Cage knees her hard in the stomach. She drops to the floor and nearly passes out with how hard he hit her. She tries to get up but Cage is relentless and punches her in the face. She falls back and sees Cage start to move in going for a final hit. Finding the strength, Lexa moves out of the way quickly and manages to connect her elbow with the man's nose. 

 

Lexa watches as blood begins to poor out. This was clearly a bad move. Cage’s eyes go dark and he lunges forward, grabbing Lexa by her left arm, hard. He pulls her down and Lexa feels before she hears her arm being dislocated. She yells out and punches Cage in the face before he is able to do anything. As he is about to finish her off, there are sirens. 

 

All Lexa sees is everyone scatter. She looks for her friends but finds no-one. Surely they wouldn't leave her. She hears a familiar voice, “Lexa!!” She tries to get up and sees Luna running over to her, “Come on, the cops are here.”

 

Trying to get air, Lexa manages to croak out, “Where's Roan and Echo?” 

 

Luna gets angry, “They ran, Lexa. It's you and me. Let's get the hell out of here. 

 

~~~~~

Lexa and Luna have managed to evade the cops. Luna grows even angrier noticing that Echo and Roan took her car and left the girls to fend for themselves. Lexa can barely stand as they walk away from the sirens.

 

“Lexa, you're banged up badly. We need to get you to a hospital.”

 

Lexa shakes her head, “No hospital. Luna, g..go home. I know where I'm going.” 

 

Luna glares, “I'm not about to leave you, Heda. “

 

Lexa smiles even though she's in pain, “Always so loyal to me. Go, Luna. I know where to go to get fixed up.”

 

Luna loosens her grip, “I don't like this.”

 

“I'll be okay. I'll even text you okay?” 

 

This seems to calm Luna but not by much. Luna sighs and leaves Lexa. 

 

Lexa begins to walk as slow as she can. Everything hurt but she knew who could help. And the person was only a few blocks up the road. Determined to make it, Lexa quickens her steps. 

 

After what feels like an excruciating amount of time, Lexa finds herself at the Griffin household. She prays to whatever God or force is listening that Clarke is somehow awake. Luck is on her side when after the rapid fire tapping, Clarke pulls back the curtains.

 

Lexa watches her open the window and Clarke tells her, “Holy shit, Lexa!! What happened?”

 

~~~~~

Clarke finds herself searching through her house like a madwoman. Lexa was badly hurt. Finding all the gauze, bandages, and alcohol she can find, she takes everything to her bedroom. Thank God her mother was a surgeon at the hospital. 

 

She sees the brunette holding her left arm close and notices the weird angle its at, “Your arm is dislocated.”

 

Lexa sighs, “Princess, just...fix me.”

 

Clarke snaps, “Lexa, I'm not an actual doctor. Some of these things you need an actual hospital for.”

 

“No. No hospitals. I can't have Indra or Gustus finding out.”

 

Clarke points to Lexa's eye and cheek, “How the fuck are you going to explain that piece of work?”

 

For once in her life, Lexa doesn't have a comeback. Instead she stays silent and Clarke starts to tend to her wounds again. She pulls out alcohol and cotton balls and begins to dab at the open cut on Lexa's cheek. Once she's put a bandaid on it, she focuses on Lexa's eye. It's swollen shut and is so bruised, the blonde is surprised Lexa can even see straight.

 

“This is going to take a bit to heal.” Clarke opens a cold compress and before handing it to Lexa, she dabs some disinfectant cream on her eye.

 

“Hold that to your eye. It will help reduce the swelling.” Lexa simply nods and does as she's told. Clarke notices the way Lexa is breathing and lifts her shirt. Her left side is black and blue. Clarke feels around carefully and Lexa winces and jumps back from the pain.

 

“Nothing is broken. But you were close. Keep this on for three weeks. We'll take a look at it and if it's not better, I'm taking you to the hospital myself. I don't know if you have internal bleeding.” Clarke wraps the bandage around Lexa. 

 

Lexa laughs but finds pain filling her sides, “Whatever you say, princess.”

 

Clarke glares and looks at Lexa's arm, “I need to put it back into place.” 

 

“Okay, do it.”

 

“Lexa, you're going to scream from the pain. Here, be very quiet. Go to my jeep and I'll be there in second.”

 

Lexa goes out and sits in Clarke's Jeep. It takes Clarke a while but she comes out and Lexa looks confused.

 

“I told my dad I wanted snacks and I would be back.”

 

Lexa scoffs, “Your dad is too trusting.”

 

“Yeah well, I've never given him reason not to be. Let's get you home but first.”

 

Clarke drives a bit down the road and parks the car. Lexa is confused as she looks out the window, “Clarke? Why are we…. FUCK!!!!!!!!”

 

Clarke took the split second distraction and managed to pop Lexa's shoulder back into place. Lexa is crying and Clarke pulls out an arm sling, “You'll need to wear this for a few weeks. No sparring until it heals. Now let's take you home.” 

 

Lexa sniffles, “Thank you, princess for taking me home.”

 

Clarke nods, “You're welcome. I'm just glad you're alright. What happened out there?”

 

Lexa looks down, “Roan and Echo ditched Luna and myself. They even took the car. And now I feel like an idiot because everyone was right. They were just using me.”

 

Clarke places a gentle hand on Lexa's hand, “It doesn't make you stupid, Lex. You did what you had to do in order to survive. These people became your friends when you needed someone. But look at them for who they really are. And realize that you're not like them.”

 

Lexa smiles and steps out of the car, “Thank you, princess. For everything.”

 

Clarke smiles, “It's what friends do, Lex.” 

 

Lexa closes the door and waves goodbye as Clarke drives away. She turns to the house in front of her and walks in. What she doesn't expect is for Gustus, Indra, and Anya to be awake and waiting for her. 

 

They all gasp and Anya glares. She knows exactly where Lexa was.

 

“When I see Roan, I'm going to murder him.”

 

Gustus puts a hand on Anya's shoulder, “Easy, Anya. Go upstairs.”

 

Anya listens but doesn't stop glaring at Lexa. Lexa has never felt more ashamed in her life. Indra looks at her.

 

“Are you not happy here?”

 

Lexa feels her stomach drop for a second time that night, “Indra, I love it here.”

 

“Then why, Lexa? You know there's a visit soon. I may get my chance to give you girls a home away from me because you decided to go out and fight!?” 

 

Lexa feels hot tears pricking her eyes. 

 

Indra stands up, “I can't do this. Not tonight.”

 

She watches the woman walk away up the stairs and it's only her and Gustus left. He shakes his head as he walks past her.

 

“Lexa… we really wish for you to like it here.”

 

Lexa feels her heart begin to break, “Gustus.”

 

He shakes his head, “Please...not tonight, okay? Go to bed and we'll talk more about it tomorrow. If you find yourself hurting, please don't hesitate to ask us to take you to the hospital.”

 

He walks upstairs and Lexa finds herself alone. She turns off the light in the kitchen and walks upstairs. Once in her room, she notices Anya sitting on her bed.

 

“What do you want, An?”

 

“You know Lexa… I really wanted to stay here. I like these people. I love where we're at. I'm dating a girl who is so amazing it's unreal. And yet you… you went out to fight. Fighting illegally, Lexa. Look at yourself!! I have no words to say to you right now.”

 

Anya leaves Lexa alone. Before she lets a tear fall, she feels the anger growing inside of her. The only person who knew about her and fight club was the very same person who helped stitch her up. Clarke Griffin was no longer a friend of Lexa's.


	9. What goes around, comes around

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys, my dudes, I'm so sorry for the lack of updates! I have an exam coming up next week so I'm cramming my brain for that. Please be patient with Me! But I wanted to get this chapter out so you had it!! We have a bit of clexa which I think was needed! Without further ado, enjoy!!

Lexa woke up with a sharp pain in her ribs. She didn't realize she had fallen asleep. After Anya left the room last night, all Lexa could do was stare at the ceiling and let her anger for Clarke build up to the point of hatred. Yet, no matter how hard she tried to hate Clarke, she couldn't find it in herself anymore. Instead, anger had coursed through her over Roan and Echo. The two people who supposedly had her back. She gets angry and throws a piece of paper at the wall. 

 

There's a soft knock on the door and she lets out a small, “Come in.” She sees that it's Indra and Lexa sits up straighter. Indra clears her throat.

 

“After much discussion with my husband. We have both decided that you're grounded Lexa. Now, I know I'm not your mother but… this is still my house. And to make sure that you stay away from those...friends of yours, you will be grounded for three weeks. Today is Saturday and it starts your punishment. Clarke will be here so you may follow her to her job. You will be with Clarke all three weeks. Do you understand?”

 

Lexa simply stares. No one had ever grounded her before. She wasn't even sure it was a thing? She nods her head. Indra does the same and continues speaking, “You'll be expected to go with Clarke after school to her job. If she is off, then you will come straight home. Is that understood as well?”

 

Lexa nods again, “Yes, ma'am.”

 

Indra nods and walks out of the room. Anya is standing in the doorway having heard the conversation and just when Lexa is about to speak, Anya shakes her head and walks away. Lexa hears the doorbell ring and Indra calls up, “Lexa, get your stuff ready. Clarke is here.”

 

Sighing, the brunette climbs out of bed and finds something to change into. She has to be careful with her ribs. They still hurt like a bitch and it was uncomfortable. She relaxes herself enough to walk down the stairs. 

 

~~~~~~

Clarke's phone went off too early in the morning. She reaches for her phone and notices it's a text from Indra.

 

**[Indra 7:00 AM]** _ Clarke, could I ask you to please come to the house? Lexa will be joining you today at the Center. _

 

The blonde sends a quick reply back saying she would be there by eight in the morning. Why was Lexa willing to go to the center? She wondered how Lexa covered up her bruises from Indra and Gustus. She would have to ask eventually. After she is dressed and ready, she says goodbye to her parents and drives to Lexa's house. She has a small smile on her face. She was looking forward to Lexa meeting Dante. 

 

That was until Indra let her inside. After calling Lexa downstairs, Clarke notices the glare she receives. What the hell? 

 

“Hi, Lexa.”

 

Lexa barely even nudges her head to return the hello. Clarke sighs, “Ready to go?” Lexa simply nods, “Lead the way, princess.” Clarke can only stare at her. The way she said princess was just like when they first met. It was full of anger. She turns away towards the porch and says over her shoulder, “Keep up.”

 

Lexa carefully climbs on her bike and rides. She follows closely behind Clarke's Jeep but doesn't pay any attention to where she's going. Lexa didn't even know Clarke had a job. Lexa's mind wanders from there. Could she really be mad at Clarke? She was only looking out for Lexa and her safety. Even Lexa had to admit that she had been scared during the fights. Her mind then travels to Luna. She had sent the text letting her know she was safe. Luna had responded that she had been worried but was glad to hear Lexa was safe. 

 

Roan and Echo popped into her head. They hadn't even tried calling. Lexa couldn't lie, it hurt. Roan had been a big brother, a crutch for Lexa when she felt alone. Sometimes Anya wouldn't always be understanding but Roan, Roan never questioned. Was all that just a show? And Echo. She had joined the group late but Lexa liked her humor. She made jokes about anything and everything. It made Lexa smile. 

 

But Anya always said, “These aren't your friends. You need people to keep you from going insane. So I started with them. But they aren't always going to be there, Lexa.” It bothered Lexa to say that Anya had been right. She is so lost in her head that before she realizes it, Clarke is parking her jeep. Lexa finds a spot near the doors.

 

Clarke had had enough. What the fuck was her problem? She slams her car door and looks at Lexa. Green meets blue and Clarke can't hold back any more. 

 

“You can drop the act now.”

 

Lexa can only sigh as she climbs off her bike, “I can assure you I do not know what you are talking about.”

 

Letting out a frustrated huff, Clarke tells her, “Ugh! The act, Lexa. You can quit acting like you're better than everyone. Like you're some commander with a God complex.”

 

Lexa laughs as she places her helmet on the seat of her bike, “Oh princess, it's not an act.”

 

“Fuck you.”

 

Lexa raises her eyebrow, “Name the time and place. I'd be happy to.” Clarke is left speechless and just walks inside. Why did she get tortured with being stuck with this...asshole. That wasn't even the right word to describe Lexa but it would have to do in Clarke's book. She opens the door and storms her way in. 

 

Lexa follows behind her. Normally she isn't this much of an asshole to anyone but Clarke seemed to bring it out in her. She had other things to be doing. It was Clarke's fault she was here anyway. Where exactly was here? She didn't bother to ask. What she notices first while walking through the doors is how white the place is. There are nurses walking up and down the hallway. Were they in a hospital? Shit, why hadn't she paid attention to where she'd been going? She shakes her head and sees Clarke has stopped to talk to the receptionist.

 

“Clarke, it's good to see you. He's been asking for you.” Clarke smiles, “Hi, Jackson, he has? Mind if I go back there?” Jackson laughs, “Of course, I'll buzz you in.” Clarke walks to the door and Jackson lets her in. 

 

“Um, Clarke?” Lexa is trying to catch up but Clarke just walks through and lets the doors close behind her. She tries to open the doors and is met with someone clearing their throat, “Can I help you?” She lets out a nervous laugh, “Haha...yeah, that blonde that walked in, I'm with her.” Jackson raises his eyebrow, “That blonde has a name. And if Clarke didn't hold the door open, then you must be unwanted in her company.

 

Lexa scratches her head, “Look, I don't want to be here but it's needed. So could you just please let me in?” Jackson walks over to his desk, “Name, please.” Lexa follows behind him, “Umm, Lexa.” Jackson laughs, “You sound unsure of that. Lexa. Oh! So you're Lexa.” 

 

Lexa looks confused, “How do you know me?” Jackson takes the sticker with Lexa's name on it and hands it to her, “Right through those doors, Lexa. Follow the hallway to the end and make a right. You'll find Clarke in room 322.” He buzzes her in and Lexa walks down. She notices an older woman with white hair sitting outside a room in a wheelchair. Taking a few more steps, she peeks into another room and notices an older man watching television. They were in an old folks home. Well, the correct term is a senior citizens home. Why would Clarke spend her free time here? As she walks to the room Jackson told her, she answers her own question.

 

The first sound Lexa hears is Clarke's laugh. Stepping further into the room, she notices Clarke is talking to an older gentleman. He is sitting in a wheelchair and has white hair. It's so white Lexa has a hard time believing it isn't dyed. The next thing she notices is his skin. It's thin and brittle, almost like used up sandpaper. He has a kind voice when he speaks, “It seems like we have another visitor, Clarke.”

 

Looking away from the man sitting in front of her, Clarke makes eye contact with Lexa, “Oh. I guess Jackson let you in after all.” Lexa laughs, “Not without the fifty questions first but yeah.” The old man clears his throat, “Care to introduce an old man?” Clarke beams from ear to ear, “I'm sorry, Lexa, this is Dante Wallace. A very dear friend of mine. Dante, this is Lexa.”

 

Lexa strides closer to the gentleman and shakes his hand, “It's a pleasure to meet you, sir.” Dante smiles, “Manners. Clarke told me she didn't think you had any.” Clarke blushes, “Dante!” Lexa can only laugh it off, “I assure you, I have manners. I'm not as terrible as Clarke may make me seem.” 

 

Dante smiles, “It's nice to hear that, dear. Now come you two. It's tea time and I want you to meet someone special.” Clarke stands up and goes to push his wheelchair, “Are we flirting with the ladies again, Dante?” He scoffs, “I do no such thing!” They laugh together and Lexa is stuck following behind them both. This was going to be a long day it felt like. Yet, maybe Lexa had been too quick to judge Clarke. After all, not many people would come to a center like this. 

 

“Lexa, you coming?” Shaking her head, Lexa speaks up, “Yeah, I'm right behind you.” She follows Clarke and Dante into the next room and wonders just how much of a secret there was to Clarke Griffin. And Lexa Woods was eager to learn them all. 

 

~~~~~~

Clarke pushes Dante into the open room. There are others around that recognize Clarke. The blonde smiles and says hello to everyone she knows. Lexa is impressed. Clarke seemed very close to everyone here. But the bond with Dante is what got her the most. 

 

Lexa had never met anyone quite like Dante. He had lived a very long life and his son dropped him off here. Lexa felt sorry for the man. But while Clarke left to get everyone a drink, Dante smiles, “So, Lexa?”

 

The brunette smiles, “Yes, sir.” He waves his hands, “Sir is my father. Please call me Dante.” Lexa laughs a little, “Yes, Dante?”

 

He points to her bruises, “I hope you don't get angry at her for this, but Clarke told me about you being involved in fight club.” Lexa squirms a bit in her seat, boy was Clarke just ready to tell everyone. 

 

Dante looks at her, “I've never seen Clarke so worried before. That girl has talked about friends like no one's business. She's talked about guys and girls that have been courting her or she's liked them. Yet, you're the first one I've met. That tells me Clarke thinks very highly of you.”

 

Lexa looks at him, “I'm sorry, what?”

 

“Oh please, Lexa. You've got this bad girl image down to a T but in general, you're a sweetheart with a troubled past. Clarke talks about you all the time. Before it was hatred but something happened and I saw a shift. You grew a place in her heart and she cares for you.”

 

Lexa feels the tears start to sting and fights to keep them back, “Dante, why...are you telling me this?”

 

He smiles and puts a worn hand over hers, “Because, dear, everyone needs a friend like Clarke Griffin. I don't know what you've been through or how rough you've had it, but that girl right there is willing to try and hold you together. So don't be so rude all the time. Let her in and show her how big your heart is. It's hard not to love Clarke.”

 

Lexa looks to the right when she hears Clarke laughing with an older woman, “Yeah, Dante. I...think you're right.” It was in that moment that Lexa felt her heart shift. She didn't know when it had happened but she couldn't deny it anymore. Lexa was in love with Clarke. 

 

~~~~~~~

The rest of the visit with Dante ends too soon and before Clarke knows it, she's saying goodbye. Lexa had...softened a bit. She was curious as to what Dante and Lexa had talked about. But she didn't press the subject. After promising they would visit with him tomorrow, Lexa and Clarke walked out the doors. 

 

“Bye, Clarke. We'll see you tomorrow right?”

 

Clarke waves goodbye, “Of course, Jackson. Lexa will be with me.” Lexa looks sheepishly at Jackson and waves goodbye. The girls walk outside and it's a beautiful day. Clarke breathes in and is a little surprised when she hears Lexa speak with a soft voice.

 

“I'm not...in the mood to go home just yet. Care to walk with me?”

 

“Sure. I know just the place to go.”

 

Clarke and Lexa set a steady pace and walk in silence for a bit. Clarke is about to speak at the same time Lexa does.

 

“Are you going to tell me…”

 

“Could I ask a question?”

 

Lexa laughs a little. Clarke feels her heart surge. It was a beautiful laugh. One she had never heard Lexa make before. 

 

“You first, Clarke.”

 

“Why were you so rude this morning?”

 

Lexa sighs and puts her hands in her pocket, “I'm sorry about that. I was just… angry that you had told Indra and Gustus about where i was.”

 

Clarke stops walking, “Wait, what?”

 

“Come on, Princess. Don't play dumb. They were awake when I got home.”

 

Clarke grows angry, “For your information, I didn't say anything to anyone. I was busy tending to you remember? I was so freaked I didn't even give two thoughts to my phone. Maybe they saw you had snuck out. It wasn't a good night for Indra.”

 

Lexa feels like a total asshole, “I'm… I didn't know. I'm sorry.”

 

“Whatever, Lexa. You should maybe ask instead of be so quick to judge. And maybe talk to Indra and Gus. There's a lot you don't know.” She gets ready to walk back to her car but Lexa stops her.

 

“Clarke, please… I'm sorry I acted the way I did. And I shouldn't have blamed you automatically. I haven't been a very kind person since I've been here. Please walk with me?”

 

Clarke is stunned. For the first time since meeting Lexa, Lexa sounded...sincere. Clarke was really staring at Lexa. Who Lexa was without the help of her friends. She continues to walk with the brunette. Clarke asks her, “Why are you here with me today? At first I thought it was because you wanted to actually come with me. But that's not the case, is it?”

 

They make a right and continue walking, “No. Indra and Gustus grounded me for last night. I'm to spend my three weeks with you. If you don't have work, I'm due back home. They won't allow me to see my… friends?” Lexa said it as more of a question than a statement.

 

“I see. And how do you feel about it?”

 

“Honestly… I feel happy.”

 

Clarke laughs a little and Lexa stares at her.

 

“You, Lexa Woods, perpetual badass, is okay with being grounded?” 

 

Shaking her head, the brunette answers her, “Clarke, no I'm not happy about being grounded. But it means that Indra and Gustus care about me. About my sister too. They want what's best for us. And I feel horrible because I've taken advantage of their kindness. With me looking the way I do, it could takes Indra’s chance away at us being allowed to stay there. Then there's Anya. It was the first thing she asked me not to do. Don't fuck this up for us. And I did. I did because I let my so called ‘friends’ talk me into this with hopes of saving money to leave this town.”

 

Lexa stops talking and sighs. Clarke can tell that Lexa is broken up about it. She continues to walk and gently grasps Lexa's hand in her own, “Lex, I know things are shitty. But we're teens. It happens. We fuck up. You want to fix things? Then fix them. You act so… selfish sometimes. Like the only things that matter are what you point out. You have a big sister who loves you. Make it right with her. Gus and Indra are amazing. They love hard and I'm pretty sure they love you.”

 

Lexa wipes a tear, “How can you know that? You know nothing about me…”

 

Clarke wipes the tear away, “You're right. Because you haven't given me the chance to. But I hear the way Indra and Gus talk about you and Anya. Make it right with them. And maybe it's time to let go of who you call friends.”

 

Lexa laughs a little, “Why do you hate them so much?” 

 

Clarke looks at her with a serious expression, “Lexa you really don't know do you?”

 

“Know what?”

 

“Roan Queen and Echo Azgeda are two people who don't care about anything. They… they hurt Raven and me once last year.”

 

Lexa feels anger running through her, “Did you say Queen?”

 

Clarke is confused, “I did. But it doesn't matter right now. We're here.”

 

Lexa looks around to where Clarke is pointing to. It was a beautiful flower garden. Clarke smiles when she sees Lexa's eyes light up.

 

“Clarke! Oh my god, these are Purple lilies. And carnations! Look, it's my favorite today, peonies.”

 

Clarke laughs, “Lexa Woods knows and loves flowers?”

 

Lexa relaxes and lets go of the day, of the conversation, of everything, and just enjoys being around the flowers and Clarke, “Yeah… I've always loved them. I read a book about them once and became obsessed.”

 

Clarke smiles and follows behind Lexa as she points out every flower and what they mean. Clarke loves how Lexa's eyes light up. Her crooked smile saved only for Clarke playing on her lips. And it hits Clarke like a ton of bricks. Clarke felt her heart overflow. She had fallen in love with Lexa Woods somewhere along the way. 


	10. See me for who I am

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys! I passed my exam!!!! And in honor of that, I give you an extra long chapter. It takes over the span of the weekend and I hope you all enjoy. I know I enjoyed so please don't be too hard on me okay? Without further ado, enjoy!!!

The rest of Saturday passed by in a blur and before Lexa knows it, she's sitting down and having an actual dinner with Gustus, Indra, Lincoln, and Anya. It's tense around the table and Lexa knows it's because of her. Indra is focused on preparing the salad and Gustus takes a moment to speak, “So Lexa, how was it with Clarke today?” Lincoln smiles, “Did you meet Dante?”

 

Lexa looks at the burly men and is thankful that they are at least trying to smooth things over. She fidgets with her fingers, “I did meet Dante. He's a sweet man and it wasn't so bad with Clarke. It's… actually what I wanted to talk to you all about.”

 

Indra brings the salad to the table and looks at Lexa with confusion in her eyes, “Lexa please do not try to talk your way out of this…” She stops talking when Lexa holds up her hand. She clears her throat and feels Anya's glare on her. 

 

“I wanted to apologize sincerely to you three. I'm not trying to get out of being grounded. Trust me, I deserve more to my punishment. I've been nothing but...difficult since I've been here and I'm sorry for that. Indra, you and your husband have been more than amazing to my sister and myself. You've shown us...shown me what compassion and caring looks like. And this is it right here. You grounded me because you care for me. You both could have just sent me back but you didn't. I will do whatever it takes to make it up. I want to prove that… that I want to be here. As for my so called friends, you don't have to deal with them anymore. Well...maybe except Luna. Of course only if you're both okay with that?”

 

Indra has to walk away and Lexa feels her heart drop. Gustus smiles softly at the brunette, “Lexa, Indra doesn't like anyone to see her cry. Give her a moment. And we wouldn't mind Luna. If I recall correctly, Luna was the one who called us asking if you had made it home.”

 

Lexa is stunned. Luna had called them? Why? Indra comes back to the table and Lexa focuses on that for now. The family sits in silence and begins to eat. The tension isn't too bad but Lincoln smooths it over by telling a story about his friends and the trouble they got into for the day. Lexa laughs along and looks over to Anya. She understands the look, “We'll talk later.” Lexa subtlety nods her head and the night passes by with ease. 

 

Lexa decided to clean up after dinner and once she had finished drying the dishes, she hears Gustus come in from his office. “Hey Lexa?”

 

She turns her head to look at the man, “Yes?”

 

He points out to the double doors leading to the backyard. There's a telescope set up and Lexa smiles. He notices and laughs, “Do you know the stars?” Lexa shakes her head, “No. But there's a memory I have. When Anya and I were younger, we got moved to Los Angeles and we snuck into the Griffith Observatory. And…” Gustus watches as Lexa take the telescope and points it at a star, “Anya showed me that star. I don't remember the name but she told me it was called Alexandria. My mom had named the star after I was born.”

 

Gustus smiles, “That's a nice memory.” Lexa nods and looks at the tall man, “Gustus, does...Indra hate me?”

 

Gustus shakes his head, “She loves you to pieces, Lexa. You know, she doesn't like to talk about it but did you know her and Abby Griffin were in the military together?”

 

Lexa shakes her head and leaves room for Gustus to continue, “Yup. We had had Lincoln and then she went back into duty. I was worried sick but knew she would come back home. But one day while they were out there, her team was on a mission. They hit an IED and took on enemy fire. My wife was… mangled. It's the best way i could put it.”

 

Lexa watches the man grow somber and she places a hand on his shoulder, “We...had been expecting a second child. But there was too much damage. My wife barely made it back to me. And then to be told not only did we lose our child, but we would never again be able to have any more. The scars...are too much sometimes.” Lexa feels tears begin to sting her eyes.

 

Gustus continues, “We knew you were gone before Luna had called us because that day...our child would have been your age, Lexa. It was hard at first. And it still is but we manage every day to fight and get through even when we feel like sadness will consume us both. That's why we looked into foster parenting and adopting. It took us years. But we finally were given a chance.”

 

Lexa can't stand anymore. Her resolve crumples and she hugs Gustus tight, “I'm so sorry that happened. You and Indra are amazing parents. Really you are.”

 

Gustus wipes his eyes and clears his throat, “I just thought you should know about our history. But also Lexa, if you wanted to fight, the dojo has competitions and huge ones at that. You're welcome to join and fight once you're all healed up. We can teach you some proper moves and techniques.”

 

Lexa smiles, “I would like that, Gus. Thank you.” Lexa gives him one more hug and steps inside. She walks up the stairs and into Anya's room. She finds Anya sitting on the balcony with two cups. Lexa walks on to the balcony and Anya automatically hands her a cup. 

 

“I figured my special hot chocolate was needed. Sit.”

 

Lexa can't help but hold the cup and smile. She felt like a little kid again. When it was cold, Anya would always find a way to make her special hot chocolate. Lexa laughs quietly to herself. Anya's secret was adding a Hershey mini chocolate at the bottom and stirring it while it melted. But Lexa never let on that she knew the secret. Lexa joins her sister in a chair and they stare out into the distance. It's quiet as the two sisters are lost in their own thoughts.

 

“Are you going to be involved in any more fights?”

 

Lexa sighs and knows the conversation is inevitable, “No, An. I don't want to fight anymore. Taking on 6 people a round is not something I want to be doing.”

 

Anya looks at her sister, “6?? Alexandria Woods, what the fuck?”

 

She can hear the hurt in her sister's voice, “An, why…”

 

The older blonde holds her hand up, “Was… it because you didn't trust me that you didn't tell me about this? Lexa, I've done everything I can for us to make it this far. What did I do so wrong for you to...hate me so much?”

 

Lexa feels like her heart is going to break, “Anya… I don't hate you at all! I didn't tell you because I knew you'd try to talk me out of it. But also because I knew that I was fucking things up. If I had told you, it would have been real that I broke my promise when we first came here. Don't fuck things up for us. And that's all I've managed to do.”

 

Anya punches the brunette in the arm, “You ass. The only reason you keep fucking things up is because your head is so far up your own ass, you can't see what's going on around you.”

 

Lexa scoffs, “Yeah well, Roan and Echo ditching me managed to make me unscrew my head from my ass. That's not even the worst part.”

 

Anya is confused and Lexa continues, “When you met Roan, what did you say his last name was?”

 

Anya thinks back and remembers, “He said it was Quinn. Roan Quinn.”

 

Lexa shakes her head, “His name is Roan Queen. Nia’s son.”

 

“What the fuck? And he talked you into the fights?”

 

Lexa nods and Anya continues, “Lexa, I have a bad feeling about this. Nia was pissed when Indra took us both home. Remember she wanted to keep you there?”

 

Lexa answers, “I remember. And I got the same feeling that night at the fight. Something didn't feel right.” 

 

“Watch your back, sis. Who knows what stuff Roan is into. Please be safe?”

 

Lexa smiles, “I will, An. And thank you for this.”

 

“You're welcome. Thank you for bringing my sister back.”

 

The sisters hug and Lexa leaves the room. Entering her own, she's careful with her arm in the sling and gently takes it out to stretch it. As she lays down, her phone buzzes. There are two messages. She opens the first.

 

**[Unknown Number 8:30 PM]** _ Hi Lexa, it's Clarke. I asked Raven if I could have your number and in turn she asked your sister and then gave it to me. Anyway, I just wanted to text you and say that I had a really good time today. I'll see you tomorrow to take a look at your shoulder and your ribs to see how they're healing. Also, Dante really loved having you. I wasn't sure if you'd like to join me tomorrow? Maybe you could meet the other residents. Anyway this text has become much longer than it should have. Have a goodnight okay? _

 

Lexa smiles like an idiot. Clarke enjoyed the time they spent together. Lexa couldn't lie, she enjoyed the time too. Before she responds, she opens up the other message.

 

**[Roan 8:31 PM]** _ Lexa, new fight tonight. Bigger buy in! We'll pick you up at midnight where we did on Friday. Hope you're ready. _

 

Lexa scoffs and doesn't even bother to answer the message. Instead she deletes it along with Roan’s information. She also deletes Echo’s information. Feeling ten pounds lighter, Lexa opens up the message from Clarke and sends her reply. She puts her phone to charge, changes into her pajamas and carefully climbs into bed. Tomorrow was a new day. She would visit with Dante and couldn't wait to step into Clarke's world. She lays down and closes her eyes to sleep. She dreams of a certain blonde with deep ocean blue eyes and a smile to kill for.

 

~~~~~

Clarke was freaking out. She had sent the message but hadn't gotten a reply. Was it a bad move? Lexa was always up and down with Clarke. Before she completely loses her mind, her phone chimes and Jake happens to walk by the bedroom, “Told you she'd answer. But no one listens to dad.” Clarke laughs and throws a pillow at Jake and Jake throws it back, “Answer the phone, Clarke. Don't throw pillows at me.”

 

Clarke smiles and picks up her phone. There's a message from Lexa.

 

**[Lex 8:40 PM]** _ Hi Clarke, not to worry. I don't mind you having my number. Gives me new reasons to talk to you. I would appreciate it if you took a look at my ribs and shoulder. But, maybe we can do this the right way and have your mom look me over? You were right about Indra and Gus. My sister too. We...are patching things up. And Gustus told me about Indra and your mom. Your mom is pretty badass. I do look forward to tomorrow. I quite like Dante’s company. And I would love to meet the other residents. Show me your world, Clarke. I look forward to it. This has become longer than I intended it to, have a goodnight as well. Sweet dreams. _

 

Clarke blushes at the statement. Lexa wanted a peak into Clarke's world. With a smile on her face, she says goodnight to her parents and crawls into bed. Closing her eyes, she dreams of a certain pair of lips that meet her own in a soft, and gentle kiss.

 

~~~~~

 

Roan and Echo were waiting for Lexa a block from the house. It was already going on 12:30 in the morning but Lexa was nowhere to be seen. Echo grows restless, “Roan, she's not gonna show.” 

 

Roan gets angry, “My mom won't be happy about this.”

 

“Well, we did ditch her and Luna when the cops came. That alone will give her reason to ignore us.”

 

Roan hits the dashboard, “Echo, you don't understand! I stole the money my mother gave for the fight on Friday with all the chaos. I needed Lexa to fight this time and win so I could pay him back!”

 

Echo looks at him and the gleam in her eye has Roan asking what she was thinking. “It's simple, Roan. Let Emerson get angrier and when he comes to you, pass the blame on to Lexa. Make it look like Lexa stole the cash.”

 

Roan laughs, “Oh, Echo. Your mind is brilliant. Let's get out of here.” The car drives away and leaves the block in a certain quiet bliss.

 

~~~~

 

Sunday morning finds Clarke up early playing her music as she gets ready. She had sent another text to Lexa letting her know that she was awake and would be at the Forrester house in about an hour. Clarke rummages through her closet and finds an old t-shirt she hadn't seen in forever. It was a baseball tee with a picture of the beautiful Amy Lee from Evanescence. It was Clarke's favorite t-shirt and her first girl crush. 

 

Jake and Abby learned that Clarke wasn't completely straight when she just had to have the t-shirt. Clarke's obsession with Amy Lee wasn't just that of a singer. It was a crush. But Jake and Abby loved their daughter and took it in stride. They let Clarke come to them about the possibility of liking girls and boys too. They gave her the best advice. She can still hear her mother tell her, “You love who you love. You should never be ashamed of that. And as long as they treat you right, we'll love them too.” 

 

Clarke smiles at the memory as she puts the shirt on. There's a knock on her door and she turns down the music as she opens it. Jake is standing and smiles, “Going with Evanescence hmm?” 

 

“Haha yes! It's Amy Lee. Come on!! Plus I want to be comfy today. Lexa is coming with me to visit Dante and everyone else.”

 

Jake can't help but smile with his daughter. It seemed that Clarke was smitten even though she claimed to not care for Lexa. He sighs and walks down the stairs. Abby is making breakfast for them when the doorbell rings. Abby sticks her head out to stare at Jake, “Who is that?”

 

Jake laughs, “It's not Clarke's band of misfits. They just barge right in.” He goes to the door and opens it.

 

“Lexa! What brings you over?”

 

Lexa smiles and moves her bad arm a little, “Hi, Jake. I wanted to surprise Clarke. May I please come in?”

 

Jake moves to let her in, “Oh, Lexa honey! It's good to see you.” Abby pulls Lexa closer to her and begins to look her over, “Clarke told me what happened. Sit. I'll take a better look and decide where we go from there.”

 

Lexa does as she's told and Abby leaves to finish breakfast and grab her kit. As the older Griffin woman goes to another room, Jake sits with Lexa.

 

“So, fight club hmm? Isn't the first rule about fight club not to talk about fight club?”

 

Lexa laughs, “Yes sir, but in this case, I'm no Brad Pitt.”

 

“I can see that. I'm just glad to hear you're okay. Clarke was worried.”

 

Abby comes in and opens her bag on the table, “She had good reason to. Take your arm out of the sling please?” Lexa carefully removes her arm and Abby tests her rotation. Lexa winces and Abby carefully puts the sling back onto Lexa, “Clarke did a good job at putting that back into place. If I may, please come with me? I want to check your ribs and need to lift your shirt.” Lexa stands and follows Abby into an office. Abby closes the door and Lexa begins to unbutton her flannel.

 

“Thank you, Mrs. Griffin for looking me over.”

 

“Please, Lexa, it's Abby. And not a problem. I just wish you had gone to a hospital. While my daughter watches me closely, she's no professional.”

 

“Yeah, but she hopes to be. She even told me.”

 

Abby smiles and gently does a routine check up on Lexa's abdomen. Her ribs are still very bruised but they aren't broken.

 

“Well, my daughter still has a choice ahead of her.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Lexa, you can put your shirt back on. It seems like nothing is broken which is good. But no fighting or anything close for at least another two weeks. You could break your ribs next time.”

 

Lexa nods her head and Abby starts to clean up, “To answer your question, I don't know what my daughter will want for herself in the future. Have you seen her art? It's her passion. So I'm curious if she'll decide art school or medical school. Either way, her father and I support her 100%” 

 

Lexa listens, “Clarke is lucky to have you two.”

 

Abby looks at the brunette, “Lexa, Clarke does things her own way. You've seen that we are...well off. Clarke doesn't like to flaunt it. She never has. And neither have we. I mean we still drive cars that are older than us. We don't have the newest brands of anything nor do we have an expensive house. Yes it looks big and it is. But the house payments are affordable for even people who don't have the jobs Jake and I do.”

 

“Why are you guys so different than the other rich people I've met?”

 

Abby laughs, “My dear Lexa, Indra and I grew up together. We lived in a little town that was in the middle of nowhere. We had nothing. As poor as poor could be. So we joined the military. Decided to see the world. Served for a while and then came home. Jake and Gustus were poor too. We worked our asses off to get to where we are but we never forgot where we came from. It's what made us who we are.”

 

Lexa takes in all that Abby has said when Abby speaks again, “You and your sister have a chance, Lexa. From what I've seen, you both stop at nothing to get something done. So use that and become whatever you want to be. No one can stop you from becoming rich or doing what you love. Only if you let them.”

 

“Thank you, Abby for believing in us.”

 

There's a knock at the door, “Mom?”

 

Lexa is buttoning her flannel from the top down and Clarke notices the muscles there. She feels her brain short circuit, “Lex… Lexa umm… hi.”

 

Abby notices and has to stifle a smile, “I was just making sure everything was okay. You two are good to go. Your dad should have made the breakfast burritos so grab them and say hello to Dante for me.” 

 

Clarke smiles and walks out of the room, “I will, mom. You ready, Lex?” 

 

“As ready as I'll ever be.”

 

~~~~~~

 

Clarke and Lexa make it to the senior citizen center and are let in by Jackson. Before they make their way to Dante, Clarke smiles, “I want you to meet Mrs. Kane.”

 

Clarke knocks on the door and hears an older woman's soft voice, “Clarke! How good to see you again! Please come in come in. Who...is this?”

 

Lexa walks in and stands in a corner of the room feeling awkward. Clarke smiles and takes Lexa's hand in her own to pull her closer. Lexa can't help but feel the electricity flow through her fingers at Clarke's touch.

 

“This is my friend, Lexa. Lexa this is Vera.” 

 

“It's nice to meet you, Vera.”

 

Vera smiles and motions for Lexa to move closer. When she does, Vera gives her a hug, “It's always a pleasure to meet one of Clarke's friends.” Lexa smiles and returns the hug when she notices the plant.

 

“Vera?”

 

“Yes dear?” 

 

“I can't help but notice, is that a rare Eden tree?” 

 

Clarke's heart melts when she sees Vera’s eyes light up, “Yes! Oh someone who knows plants! It took me forever to find one but when I did, my son scooped it up for me and brought it here. It makes me so happy to see it.”

 

Lexa smiles, “It must have taken you quite some time. But it really is beautiful. But if I may, I noticed something.”

 

Vera looks to the plant, “Please bring it over and tell me?”

 

Lexa smiles and Clarke swears she's falling harder for Lexa. Lexa takes the plant over to Vera, “The Eden tree thrives without much sunlight which is what makes it so rare. They grow in dark places with lots of moisture. She'll grow a lot more if you place her in the shade and keep it a bit warm.” 

 

Vera is beyond happy, “Oh! Thank you dear! I'll have my son help me when he gets here. Clarke, she's a keeper this one!”

 

Lexa feels her heartbeat race when she hears Clarke's response, “Yes she is, Vera. I plan on keeping her for as long as possible.”

 

After they say goodbye to Vera, Clarke leads Lexa to another room. There's a tall boy standing near the door, “Clarke! It's good to see you. And you are?”

 

Lexa smiles and holds her hand out for a handshake, “I'm Lexa. It's nice to meet you. Umm?”

 

The man laughs, “Wells, Wells Jaha. If you're here with Clarke, then she's going to introduce you to my dad. Dad, you have visitors.”

 

They walk into the room, “Jaha, I thought we discussed that television would rot your brain?”

 

Jaha holds his hands up, “Oh hush. A man can't enjoy his daytime television anymore.”

 

Lexa hides a laugh, “Actually, Clarke, they say that television is good for the brain if you watch game shows and stuff. I'm sure Jaha knows this?” 

 

Jaha looks at the brunette with a smile, “I do know that. See Clarke, listen to your friend there. She's got the right idea.”

 

Clarke holds her hands up, “Okay, I know when I'm defeated. Enjoy your television, Jaha.”

 

They say goodbye to Wells and his father and make their way to Dante.

 

~~~~~~

 

Dante sits in his wheelchair and waits for Clarke and Lexa to stop by. He knows that Clarke never lets him down. He smiles when he hears the two girls bickering. 

 

“Lex, you're making me look bad in front of my friends.”

 

Lexa laughs, “Clarke, I didn't make you look bad. I simply sided with him because I want him to like me.”

 

Clarke responds, “Trust me, just be yourself, they will absolutely love you. You're pretty amazing, Lex.”

 

When Dante hears that, he knows that it's time to tell Clarke his stories about his wife. He watches the two girls walk in and notices a new closeness that was never there before. The two girls greet him and he smiles, “Clarke, Lexa, it's good to see you girls. It's a beautiful day outside. I would like to go for a walk. Care to have an old man escort you around this beautiful home?”

 

Clarke and Lexa smile, “Lexa and I would be delighted, Dante. Lex, get the door please?”

 

Lexa nods her head and opens the door a bit wider to let Clarke through with Dante’s wheelchair. As they pass, Lexa follows behind them. Dante says good morning to everyone he passes and they all say it back. As they walk outside, there are birds chirping and Lexa notices the smile on Dante’s face.

 

“Oh it's even more beautiful than I thought! Isn't it?”

 

Clarke smiles, “It really is!” Lexa watches the two interact with each other. It really was a sight to see. Clarke moves them over a bridge and in to a flower garden. Lexa smiles and Dante watches as Lexa begins to name every flower. 

 

“Clarke, could we go to the lake? It's right up that way." Clarke pushes him and the three walk over to a small lake and sit down with Dante to look out over the water. Dante reflects and smiles as he looks at the two girls.

 

“My wife used to love the lake. Any form of water really.” He is holding a purple flower that Lexa gave him. And Clarke is surprised, “I'm getting a famous story?”

 

Dante laughs, “Yes, dear. My wife was beautiful. When I met her, we had been about your age now. Oh she had long brown hair that drove me crazy. She used to put it up in braids all the time. And she had a smile that made me weak in the knees.”

 

Clarke and Lexa both look at each other and blush. Dante notices and continues his story, “She hated me though. Then again, I was mean to her brother. Mind you, I was a troublemaker. Always ditching class. But one day, she came up to me and in her southern accent she asked, ‘Dante Wallace, why are you such an ass?’ And boy did I want to change. The most beautiful woman on earth had just insulted me and it stung. But I worked hard from them on. Got rid of people who made me bad. And made a connection with her brother. We became the best of friends after that. One night, my world changed because I had grown enough courage to ask her on a date. And I was a nervous wreck! I mean… she wanted to go out with me? Oh I couldn't believe it. I was born from the wrong side of the tracks according to her family.”

 

Dante gets lost in his story and the two girls find themselves moving closer together. Dante continues, “We had gone out to a little diner called The Mountain. It was a weird name but it was all the rage at the time. I ordered her a milkshake. Because I had learned they were her favorite. We talked about everything and nothing at the same time and I never felt more complete in my life. And when I finally took her home, I walked her to the door and thanked her for a good time. But she wasn't done with me yet. She laughed and said, ‘Dante Wallace, are you gonna kiss me or not? Because this was a wonderful time and I think I might really like you.’ I kissed her right then. Her lips tasted like the vanilla shake she had been drinking and it was one of the best nights of my life.” I was a happy man to tell you the truth.”

 

Clarke and Lexa were in awe by Dante. They could tell how much he loved his wife from the way he had that far off look in his eyes and the smile that played on his lips.

 

“That was beautiful, Dante. Thank you for telling us the story.”

 

“Yes, thank you. I didn't know you were keeping these stories from Clarke here.”

 

Clarke blushes and Dante laughs, “Oh my dear, I've been saving them for when the moment was right. And this time...it felt right. But I do believe time has flown by and it's time for you two to get home. Although, I expect to see you here on Tuesday. I've got more stories to tell. Tomorrow my son comes to visit and I haven't seen him in a while.”

 

Clarke nods as she stands up, “I'm looking forward to it Dante. Lex?”

 

Lexa smiles, “As do I. We'll see you on Tuesday.”

 

~~~~~

 

After saying goodbye to Dante and everyone, Clarke and Lexa walked to the flower garden and explored for a little while. They walked along a path that wound its way around the entire garden. Lexa is lost in her thoughts when Clarke speaks to her, “Lex?”

 

Lexa looks at her, “Yes, princess?”

 

Clarke smiles, “Thank you for coming today. I've… never heard Dante tell a story. And it was nice to hear it. Especially with you.”

 

“It really was nice, huh? You know that man is something else. He's so full of life, why is he...there?”

 

Clarke looks down as they walk, “His son...didn't want to deal with him. I've met him a handful of times. He isn't exactly the kindest person. Nor does he care for his father. It makes me upset because Dante is so gentle and his son… isn't.”

 

Lexa nods, “It's sad to hear but sometimes it happens. I mean...that place is just meant for people to drop off their parents or grandparents and never come back. But you, Clarke. You bring them joy. There is a smile and a certain youth that you bring out in them and they are thankful for that.”

 

“Lexa, you don't have to try and be sweet.” 

 

Lexa gives Clarke that crooked smile, “You don't like compliments, do you? I'm not trying to be sweet, princess. It's the truth.”

 

Clarke smiles, “You know, you're not so bad yourself. Vera loved you. Especially when you talked about her Eden tree.” 

 

Lexa blushes, “I've never seen one before! It was amazing to see it. And I just wanted her to have a beautiful plant for a long time.”

 

Clarke can see the way Lexa lights up. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to bring her to the center. She was really starting to notice Lexa open up more and the blonde was loving every minute of it. As they walk the rest of the path, Clarke takes Lexa's hand in her own and they walk hand in hand back to the car. 

 

Lexa loves the feel of Clarke's hand in her own. It was like they had been made for each other. When had Lexa become so lucky? All she knew was that she didn't want to screw this up. She wanted things to go well with Clarke. The blonde was important to her. Lexa loved her. Even if Clarke didn't care for her the same way, Lexa knew that she wanted to be there for Clarke through everything. As they climb into the car, both their phones go off. 

 

“Who could that be?”

 

Lexa shrugs and looks at the message, “It's from Gus. Apparently your dad started an argument and now there's a baseball game happening? They are the team captains and want all the delinquents at the baseball field as soon as possible.” 

 

Clarke laughs, “Leave it to my dad to start the argument.”

 

Lexa laughs, “Well, my dad isn't exactly innocent either.” 

 

Clarke smiles wider at Lexa's comment. She had called Gustus her dad. She was starting to feel at home here with Gus and Indra. Lexa had really come a long way in the 2 months she had been here. 2 month… was it really that short amount of time? It seemed longer. Delving deeper into her thoughts, Clarke pulls out of the parking lot and drives to the baseball field at the nearby park. This was gonna be an interesting game.

 

~~~~~

 

“Gustus, I'm telling you that you are going to lose. And when you do, dinner is to be made at your house. You know I like my steak medium well.”

 

Gustus laughs, “Oh, Jake. You are going to be eating your own words. When we win, you know I like my chicken spicy.”

 

Clarke and Lexa walk over to Abby, “What are they fighting about?”

 

Abby sighs along with Indra, “Your father seems to think that he is better at baseball than Gustus.”

 

“And my husband seems to think that he is the better player. Hence why we need all of you here. Loser makes dinner.”

 

Lexa laughs and hugs Abby and then Indra, “Hi, mom. You know, no offence Clarke, but I think Jake is going to lose.”

 

Indra and Abby were in shock. Lexa called Indra mom. It warmed her heart. She has to fight back a tear. Man was she crying a lot these days. Indra smiles, “Hi, Lexa. Why don't you go and side with Gus, hmm?”

 

Lexa laughs and nods as she walks away. Clarke gets up, “Oh, it's on Lexa. You're gonna eat your words.”

 

“Prove it, princess.”

 

Both girls get to the field and stand with Gustus and Jake. They wait for the other delinquents to show up to start the game. Indra and Abby notice the closeness and teasing coming from Clarke and Lexa. 

 

“You think they know yet?”

 

“Oh Abby, our girls are incredibly dense. Although I still have my ten bucks that says Clarke caves first.”

 

Abby laughs, “I still have ten that says Lexa does.” 

 

The others show up and stand to split into two teams. Jake takes Clarke, Abby, Raven, Octavia, Monty, Jasper, and Murphy. Gustus takes Indra, Lincoln, Lexa, Anya, Miller, Maya, and Bellamy. They take their places. Jake's team is up to bat while Gustus’ team is on the field. Gustus is the pitcher, “First team to 5 wins.” Jake nods his head, “PLAY BALL!!” 

 

Gustus rolls the baseball in his hand as Jake takes a few practice swings. Clarke yells out, “You got this dad!!” Jake nods his head and Gustus stretches his arm back and throws the ball. Jake hits it and sends it flying to the right field. Lexa sees where it lands and notices Maya grabs it. She holds her glove open and Maya throws it. Lexa catches it and throws it quickly to Lincoln who is on first base. Lincoln catches it but Jake is safe on first base.

 

Abby is next. Gustus throws the ball and Abby misses. Bellamy yells out, “Strike one!” Abby gets lower and waits for Gustus to pitch the ball. When he does, Abby swings and the ball flies past center field. Jake takes off for second and Abby runs to first. Anya is down center field and throws the ball to Miller and Miller tries to get Abby out. Abby is quick and dodges around until she can safely step onto first base. 

 

Jake claps his hands as Raven comes up to bat. Gustus throws the ball and Raven misses. “Strike one!” Gustus catches the ball and prepares for another throw. Raven tries again and misses the throw, “Strike two!!” Jake smiles, “Come on, Raven. We can do this. Just focus.” Raven smiles and brings the bat up. Gustus throws the ball and Raven sends it flying. Indra sees her chance and catches the ball. Raven sees it, “Shit!” 

 

Raven walks back to the dugout. Anya yells out, “I still love you, Babe!” Raven blushes and the crew all laugh. Lexa smiles as Clarke comes up to bat next. Clarke points to Lexa, “This one's for you, Lex.” Lexa laughs, “Ready to strike out?” Clarke laughs and tells Gustus she's ready. He throws the ball and Clarke hits it hard. It goes flying deep into the left field. Clarke hits it so far that Jake makes a home run and so does Abby. Clarke gets to third base and is running home when Lexa comes up to her. “Shit!” Lexa laughs and tries to get Clarke out with the ball but Clarke tries to dodge and weave her way around Lexa. They are having a good time and everyone is cheering for them both. Clarke sees an opening and runs as fast as she can. Lexa is hot on her heels. Lexa manages to get in front of Clarke but Clarke slides and takes Lexa with her. She lands on the home base and Lexa is on top of Clarke looking down and laughing out of breath.

 

“I'm safe, Lex!” Lexa is still laughing and looks down at Clarke. Clarke looks at Lexa's lips and Lexa manages to take a breath, “Are you gonna kiss me or not? Because I think I could really like you.” Clarke is surprised but just pulls Lexa's head down and kisses her. It's a soft kiss. An easy kiss but one that Lexa knows she could get used to. And Clarke sees fireworks. She didn't know a simple kiss could be like that. In the end, Abby, Octavia, and Raven become ten dollars richer. 

 

Jake clears his throat, “Lexa, get off Clarke and let's finish the game!” Lexa blushes and Clarke laughs out loud. This was going to be a wonderful game after all. 

 

~~~~~

 

Sunday night finds the entire clan at the Forrester household. Gustus’ team lost 5-4. For all his big talk, he was the one who struck out costing them the game. Lexa is helping Indra in the kitchen along with Abby and Clarke. Lexa and Clarke were too busy giggling and flirting to really be any help so they get kicked out of the kitchen. They go to the backyard and see all their friends in the pool. Clarke notices Lexa's expression and she takes the brunettes hand, “Lexa?”

 

Lexa looks at Clarke and smiles, “Is...this what a family is, Clarke?” 

 

Clarke feels an ache in her chest. Lexa had never seen this. She puts a hand to Lexa's cheek, “Yeah, Lex. This is what a family is. People who care for you and want you to have a good time. People like us. You may not have wanted it, but you became apart of this crazy group.”

 

Lexa smiles, “Clarke, I love it a lot. But… as long as I get to have you by my side, it makes this all worth it. These next few weeks are going to be… interesting.”

 

Clarke kisses Lexa and then again and again. Man she couldn't get enough of the taste of Lexa's lips, “Well… play your cards right and I can promise I'll always be by your side.” 

 

Lexa feels her heart swell. Gustus calls everyone over to eat and then all sit as a large family. Lexa looks over to Anya. Yeah. They were lucky the day Indra walked into that halfway house. The two Woods sisters had done it. They found a home and people who loved them for who they were. This family knew their flaws but loved them anyway. And what more could anyone ask for? 


	11. Monday morning despair

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been forever and a day since I have posted. But I had some stuff come up. Being an adult is just shit sometimes. I had to take a step back and take a moment on me. But I wanted to get this out for you all. We have more clexa interaction and I absolutely love Dante. There is a flashback that is written in italics. Once it's done, it goes back to regular writing. Without further ado, enjoy.

Lexa woke up early enough and had a large smile on her face as she got ready for school. Sunday had been everything Lexa could have hoped for. There was good food surrounded by even better people. Not to mention when everyone left, Clarke and Lexa had stayed up most of the night texting each other about anything and everything. Lexa wanted to learn all she could about Clarke. And it seemed that Clarke felt the same way. As she is changing, her phone dings letting her know that Clarke has sent another message. Lexa grabs her phone and sits on her bed to read it.

 

**[Princess 6:45 AM]** _ To answer your question, my favorite movie at the moment would have to be Titanic. The love story between Jack and Rose just gets me. _

 

Lexa smiles and replies in all honesty,

 

**[Court Jester 6:46 AM]** _ I would have to take your word for it, princess. I've never seen it. _

 

Clarke reads the text and Jake is walking past the room again. He notices the expression on his daughter's face, “Clarke?”

 

“Lexa has never seen Titanic dad! Who hasn't seen Titanic!!??

 

Jake is just as surprised and becomes almost as dramatic as his daughter, “No way! Like, Clarke, you need to sit her down and watch it!”

 

Clarke glares at her father, “I do NOT sound like that.”

 

Jake laughs, “That's funny. In my head, it's exactly how you sound.”

 

Clarke pushes her father, “Go away, jerk. You sound like that teacher from Ferris Bueller's day off.” 

 

Jake laughs even harder and Abby comes in, “Jake, leave our daughter alone. Now I have the morning off. Let's get breakfast ready. You know those delinquents are going to be here soon.”

 

Clarke smirks and texts Lexa back.

 

**[Princess 6:52 AM]** _ Well, tonight we are going to make you watch the movie whether you like it or not. Want to come over? My parents are making breakfast for everyone. They'd love to see you. _

 

Lexa reads her phone as she finishes brushing her teeth and walks downstairs.

 

**[Court Jester 6:55 AM]** _ Ok, I look forward to seeing this movie that you love so much. Sure. Anya and Lincoln are gonna head over there as well. Care to fly with me on the bike today? And are you working? _

 

Anya smacks Lexa's head, “You just had to be the hopeless gay didn't you?” 

 

“Number one, ow, you ass. And two what are you talking about?”

 

“You and Clarke you idiot. God, you're such a hopeless gay baby. Couldn't even wait for her to say or do anything first. I'm out of ten dollars because of you.”

 

“Wait, you guys bet on Clarke and me? Rude! Just for that, I'm telling Jake you don't get breakfast!”

 

“Alexandria Woods you wouldn't dare!!” 

 

Lexa runs off to the kitchen to grab her keys to the bike and Anya is hot on her heels, “LINCOLN LET'S GO BEFORE MY SISTER BEATS US TO CLARKE'S!!! 

 

Lincoln runs down the stairs to see Anya pushing Lexa back so she can't run out the door. Indra comes in from the living room, “Girls! That's enough!!”

 

Lexa and Anya pulls apart and both girls respond, “Sorry, mom.”

 

Indra’s breath catches in her throat and Lincoln has a smile. Indra kisses all three children goodbye and decides to sit and look over a few files before work. She feels her heart grow two sizes hearing the girls call her mom. This was a lovely start of a long Monday morning. 

 

Lexa says goodbye to Anya and Lincoln and looks at her phone. There's a new message.

 

**[Princess 7:05 AM]** _ yes I'm working today. I'm curious if Dante’s son will show. And umm yeah! I'll ride with you today if you don't mind? _

 

Lexa smiles and puts her phone away. She puts on her helmet and drives off. Today was shaping up to be pretty good.

 

~~~~~

 

Walking into the house, Lexa can smell the food and her tummy grumbles. But she can also hear the chaos of different voices trying to speak over each other. She walks into the kitchen and sees Raven and Jasper fighting over a crescent roll, “Raven, you and your girlfriend have eaten most of them!”

 

Raven laughs, “You must be high. Lincoln has been packing them away and he just got here!”

 

Lexa laughs and Jake smiles, “I see you're in shock. These damn kids eat me out of house and home! Hey SAVAGES!”

 

Everyone quiets down and Jake points at Lexa, “Please let our guest have a roll.”

 

Anya snorts, “Please. It's fend for yourself, Lexa.” 

 

Lexa mock glares at Anya, “This is how my sister betrays me? Denying me my favorite food?”

 

Anya throws a roll at Lexa and Lexa catches it with her good arm. She had some movement in her dislocated arm. But not much. She takes a bite, “Compliments to the chef.” Clarke walks out of the kitchen, “I take credit. My mom helped.”

 

Lexa tips her head to Abby, “Delicious, Abby.”

 

“Thank you, Lexa. At least one of you has manners.”

 

The table laughs and Clarke moves over to Lexa. She pulls Lexa into her arms and kisses her. It's soft and chaste. Not enough for any passion but Lexa is loving the mint taste of Clarke's chapstick. It's just something so...Clarke. 

 

Jake covers his eyes, “Gross. Abby, they're doing it again!”

 

Abby laughs and kisses Jake, “We've done it for much longer.”

 

“Ugh! You two are nasty. Lexa let's go eat.”

 

Lexa smiles and follows Clarke to the table. She sits between Clarke and Raven. Raven smiles, “We haven't been formally introduced. So allow me to introduce you to the delinquents.”

 

Raven clears her throat, “You obviously know my gorgeous girlfriend, Anya.” Anya smiles and kisses Raven's cheek. Lexa makes a gagging face and Anya flips her off. They all laugh. Raven catches her breath, “You girls are a wonderful addition. Say hello to Octavia.”

Octavia smiles and waves. Lexa does the same. “Now, as you know, Octavia is dating the loveable Lincoln. He looks tough but he's a teddy bear.” 

 

“Yeah, exactly like my dad.”

 

Octavia kisses his cheek, “I love it.”

 

Bellamy gags this time. 

 

Raven laughs, “The little man there is Bellamy, Octavia's older brother. And the man next to him is Murphy, his boyfriend.”

 

Murphy holds up his hand, “You seem to be included in this motley crew. You need anything, Lexa, we got your back.” 

 

Lexa smiles, “Thank you, Murphy.”

 

Raven clears her throat, “Those two sitting over there are Monty and his boyfriend Miller. The boy with goggles on his head is Jasper and the girl next to him is his girlfriend, Maya. And that's everyone. Just thought you should know us all."

 

Lexa smiles, “Well, it's nice to meet you all. And Raven, I want to apologize for how I acted with you all that very first day.” 

 

Raven hits her arm, “Lexa, it's the past. You've proven yourself to us and to Clarke. But thank you for helping me with Echo that first day.”

 

Anya goes into defense mode, “What did she do?”

 

Raven shakes her head, “Echo was pissed about an experiment gone wrong and shoved me into the wall. Lexa here told her to back off.”

 

Lexa looks to Clarke and Raven, “What happened that was so bad? You said they hurt you guys?”

 

Raven looks down at her leg and that's when Lexa notices the brace the Latina is wearing, “She did that?” Raven shakes her head.

 

“Goodness no. My mom… was a drunk. And we got into a horrible accident. Hence the brace. With Abby’s help, I've been able to walk more normally but I still need the brace. We were...out of class one day and Echo and Roan thought it would be funny to see… the new freak… fall. They shoved me down to the floor and started to pull at my brace. Clarke came in and…”

 

Raven stops talking and Anya just pulls her in close. Clarke continues, “I didn't take their shit. I punched Echo in the face and it started a whole fight. The only reason I lost was because Roan had shoved me so hard I fell to the floor and hit my head.”

 

Anya and Lexa share a look, “I won't be hanging out with them any longer. I'm so sorry they did this to you.”

 

Lexa apologizes more as they begin to eat and withdraws into her own head. Were Echo and Roan really that cruel? Clarke pulls her out of her thoughts, “Hey, I lost you for a second.”

 

Lexa smiles and kisses Clarke, “Sorry… I retreat into my own thoughts sometimes. Ready for school?”

 

Clarke adjusts Lexa's collar on her red flannel and pulls her close to kiss her one more time, “As ready as I'll ever be.” 

 

~~~~

 

The drive to school had been exhilarating for both girls. Clarke loved the feel of the wind and the freedom while Lexa loved the feel of Clarke pressed against her back. As Lexa parks, Clarke hops off and Lexa smiles, “You really like this bike don't you, princess?”

 

Clarke gives a seductive smile, “More like the woman riding it.” She winks and Lexa feels her legs turn to jelly. Clarke was really trying to kill her. 

 

“Lexa, what the fuck happened? We waited and you never showed.”

 

“Yeah, and why are you with Clarke?”

 

Lexa sighs and turns to face the voices, “Roan, Echo, if you would kindly fuck off, that would be great.”

 

Echo’s jaw goes slack and Clarke finds herself trying not to laugh. 

 

“The Princess got to you didn't she? Wow, she must give it good.”

 

Clarke is about to say something when Lexa gets into Echo’s face, “Don't you EVER say anything like that to her again. As I recall, you two were the ones who ditched me remember? She helped me out. Where the fuck were you? My so called kru. We have your back Lexa. It was a bunch of bull shit. So I repeat, if you two would kindly fuck off, that would be great.”

 

Roan laughs and pulls Echo along, “Lexa, you're good for nothing and will come back eventually. Trust me. You'll be begging us for our friendship soon enough.”

 

They walk away and Lexa immediately walks over to Clarke, “Are you okay?”

 

Clarke looks into jade green eyes, “I'm fine. Are you okay? Those were your friends.”

 

Lexa laughs, “Please, they wouldn't know how to be friends if it bit them on the nose. I've come to learn that you and your group...your family… are friends. And that's what I want to surround myself with.”

 

Clarke can't help it. She smiles so wide and pulls Lexa in for a deep kiss. Lexa has never felt this much happiness. Clarke made her happy. Indra and Gustus made her happy. Lexa wasn't alone. She had people to count on. Lexa smiles and takes Clarke's hand, “If I may?”

 

“Oh my, how very kind.”

 

“Don't get used to it, princess.”

 

Clarke and Lexa laugh as they walk into first period together.

 

~~~~~

 

Lexa was blowing Roan and Echo off. The pair weren't happy about it. They leave the school in a hurry. Luna was nowhere to be found either. As they peel out of the parking lot, Roan’s phone rings. 

 

“Hello?”

 

“Roan, you little shit. You better get to the house NOW. Why the fuck is Emerson here?”

 

Roan feels his blood go cold. Hanging up the phone he points, “That way, Echo. We need to get to the halfway house.”

 

As they pull up, Nia is standing outside. Roan steps out, “What's wrong, mom?”

 

She slaps his head, “Don't pretend. Emerson is here and accusing you of stealing the money I gave. He is angry and you know better than to cross him.”

 

Emerson comes out with three other men and they pull Roan up to him. Roan tries to fight but they shove him to the floor. 

 

“Roan, you should know better than to steal from us. We had an agreement, I did my end. But you had to be a little rat. Where is my money?”

 

Roan looks at Emerson, “I don't have your fucking money. Lexa and Luna do. Luna helped Lexa steal it.”

 

Emerson has his men let Roan go, “Lexa, Hmm? Alright then. But this isn't over. You guys are collateral if I don't get my money back.”

 

Emerson punches Roan and he falls to the floor. The goons holding him walk away and follow Emerson into the car. Emerson has a grin on his face, “Follow Lexa closely and figure out who this Luna girl is. We are going to get that money one way or another.”

 

~~~~~

 

The end of the school day finds Clarke and Lexa at the senior citizen center. Lexa has Clarke laughing up a storm as they walk in. Jackson greets the girls with a kind smile and hello. He buzzes them in and they make their way around. They stop and say hello to Vera and Lexa meets Kane. He thanks her for the advice on the Eden tree. Lexa smiles and hugs Vera who is also very happy. Then they say hello to Wells and Jaha. Lexa has an entire debate with Jaha over which Kardashian sister is better looking. Lexa stuck with Khloe while Jaha fought that Kim was better. Then they make their way to see Dante.

 

“Lex, are you sure this is okay? I mean he did seem like he wanted all the time with his son.”

 

“Clarke, you're working today. You can meet and help everyone else. There's nothing wrong with that.”

 

Clarke smiles, “Yeah, you're right.”

 

They walk down the hall and to Dante’s room. Clarke is going to smile when she notices Dante with his head hanging low. 

 

“Dante?”

 

He looks up, “Clarke! Lexa! What are You girls doing here? I thought we had a visit tomorrow?” 

 

Clarke goes to him, “We do but you forget I work today. He...didn't show did he?”

 

Dante grows somber, “He called. It seems Cage was a little busy with something. He won't make it in today.”

 

Lexa is floored. Why didn't she put it together? Dante Wallace. Cage Wallace. Her mouth moves faster than her brain does and she asks him, “Dante, what does Cage do?”

 

The old man answers as honestly as he can, “I...really don’t know.”

 

Lexa nods her head and Clarke looks at her, “Lex? What aren't you telling us?”

 

Lexa sighs and sits down on the bed. She puts her hand on top of Dante’s, “Dante, your son is...the one who did most of the damage in the fight. Cage… is apart of fight club.”

 

Dante’s eyes grow wide, “My son...fights other people?”

 

Lexa feels bad. She just destroyed the image of Dante’s son for him. Dante puts a hand on Lexa's cheek, “Do not worry, Lexa. My son...has always been… well let's just say he grew worse after his mother passed.”

 

Clarke puts a gentle hand on his shoulder, “What do you say we get out of here?”

 

Dante and Lexa look up in confusion and Clarke laughs, “There's a company car I can use. I'll ask if we can take Dante out. We can tear up the town!”

 

Dante’s eyes light up, “Clarke, you would really do that for an old man?”

 

“Dante, you're my old man. Let's do this.”

 

Lexa can only smile at the pair in front of her. She watches as Clarke walks out of the room to speak with the doctor and Jackson. 

 

“So, how have things been?”

 

Lexa turns to face him, “Great. Really great. She's amazing, Dante.”

 

Dante laughs, “Told you so.”

 

Lexa smiles, “Yeah, I took a page out of your wife's book. I asked if she was gonna kiss me because I thought I could really like her a lot.”

 

Dante claps his hands, “Oh! My dearest would be so proud!” 

 

Clarke comes back and jingles some keys, “We are good to go. Ready Dante?”

 

Dante starts to stand up from his wheelchair, “Get me my cane, dear.” Lexa sees his cane and hands it to him.

 

“I'm ready to go!”

 

Clarke laughs, “Okay, Dante. Lex could you told the chair and bring it please? It's one of the conditions of leaving. We need to bring it.”

 

Dante is already walking out of his door and making his way towards the exit. Clarke notices and runs out to stop him, “Dante!!! You have to wait for us!”

 

Lexa laughs as she folds the chair and takes it. Before she leaves the room, a picture on the dresser catches her attention. It's Dante, a much younger version, and a beautiful woman. She has honey brown hair and a wonderful smile. They are looking at each other with nothing but love in their eyes. Lexa doesn't know where it comes from, but the thought pops into her head, “I'm going to marry Clarke one day.”

 

~~~~~~~

 

Dante was having the time of his life. The window was rolled down, Frank Sinatra was coming through the speakers, and Clarke and Lexa were making easy conversation and including him. He didn't know how he had lucked out so much. Wait a minute, yes he did. Clarke. His luck had changed the moment she walked into the home and struck up a conversation with a lonely old man like himself. Clarke would never truly know how much she had helped him. He felt thirty years younger! 

 

He notices Lexa and smiles. That girl was a blessing in disguise. He reminded her much of himself when growing up. Life was never easy for him and he could see that the brunette had had much of the same fate. But all it took was a touch from a certain blonde girl to bring her to life. Just like his wife did for him. Clarke looks through the rear view mirror and talks to him, “Dante? Where would you like to go?”

 

He smiles, “I haven't had McDonalds in years. And I am in the mood for a double quarter pounder with cheese.”

 

Lexa laughs, “And here I thought you were a salad kind of man."

 

He laughs, “No way in hell!”

 

Clarke laughs at the two and makes her way to the nearest drive through. Lexa notices where they are, “Hey, princess?”

 

“Hmm?” 

 

“Once we get the food, let me drive yeah? I know where to go and I think Dante would quite enjoy it.”

 

Clarke smiles, “Sure thing. I'll park and get the food inside and we'll leave.” 

 

Finally finding the McDonalds, Clarke goes inside while Lexa gets into the driver's seat. Dante is still sitting in the back when he notices a black SUV pull up. Thinking nothing of it, he turns his focus back on to Lexa. 

 

“Where are we going to go, Lexa?” 

 

“Dante, it's a surprise for both of you.”

 

Clarke comes back after ten minutes and Lexa smiles, “Everyone ready?” 

 

They all nod as they drive off. Dante notices out of the corner of his eye the black SUV begin to follow them. Choosing not to worry the girls, he keeps quiet but focused on the SUV. 

 

Lexa is driving and takes the freeway. Clarke has the radio on and is enjoying a song and Dante is enjoying it all. He just has a small fear in his gut about the SUV. That's when he notices where Lexa is driving.

 

After a twenty minute drive, they find themselves at the Dropship River. It was a strange name but Lexa loved it here. Clarke steps out, “Lex, this is beautiful.”

 

Dante opens his door and the smile on his face grows wider. Lexa helps him out and she answers Clarke, “Anya and I found it once. We...left a pretty bad foster home and walked the freeway most of the day and saw the signs. It was so peaceful here.”

 

Once Dante is out and settled, Lexa has Clarke and him follow her to a set of tables close to the edge of water. They can hear the small waves lapping against the rocks and it's soothing. The weather is fresh and they have the lake pretty much to themselves minus a few people in boats. 

 

“Lex, I really like it here.”

 

Lexa smiles and holds Clarke's hand in hers, “I'm starting to like it even more now.” 

 

Dante watches the two girls and can't stop the memory that hits him. “You know, my wife and I discovered this place a long time ago.” 

 

Lexa and Clarke both turn to look at him and Clarke can't help it, “Tell us please, Dante?”

 

He smiles and brings the burger up to his lips and takes a bite. He closes his eyes and begins to speak.

 

_ “Dante, come on! Hurry up and look at this place!” A honey brown haired woman stands at the water's edge and watches the sun reflect off. Dante comes around with a picnic basket and a blanket. He stops when he notices the sight in front of him. His Claire has never looked more beautiful than in this moment. Her hair falls over the side of her shoulder. And although it was taboo, a butterfly tattoo peaks out of her shirt. It was a dedication to her mother and father when they passed away. Dante loved to let his fingers and lips trace the tattoo when ever he could. And Claire seemed to love it just as much. _

 

_ “A true vision I see in front of me.” _

 

_ Claire sucks her teeth, “Oh stop it you. You tell me that every time you see me.” _

 

_ “Because it's true every time I see you. Do not make my compliments sound bad, Claire.” _

 

_ Claire laughs a soft laugh, “I do no such thing, Dante. I simply cannot understand how you see so much beauty in me.” _

 

_ He caresses her cheek, “Because it has always been there. People were just too blind to see it.” _

 

_ She places her hands on his chest and looks into his eyes. He leans in and kisses her. A soft kiss that they have grown so used to giving but never tire of it. _

 

_ As Dante sets up the blanket, Claire runs to the truck and grabs the camera. She sees a person walk past, “Excuse me?” The woman stops walking and turns to face Claire, “Yes?” _

 

_ “Could I ask you to take a picture of my husband and me?” _

 

_ The kind woman smiles, “Of course dear!” _

 

_ Claire grabs Dante’s hand and pulls him close to her. He laughs and looks into her eyes lovingly just as she does the same. The woman sees the tender moment and takes the picture. It would later become Dante’s most cherished photo.  _

 

Clarke has a tear in her eye and Lexa gently wipes it away. “Dante, you really loved her didn't you?”

 

The old man has misty eyes, “With all I had. Oh, Claire was my stars, my sun, my moon, the very breath I had in my body. She was the only woman I ever wanted. And I was lucky I got to call her mine for as long as I did.”

 

Lexa feels the sadness along with his happiness. He lost the woman he loved but got a chance to spend every waking moment with her. She looks over to Clarke and notices blue eyes are meeting hers. She didn't know she could feel this way. So much love in just a short span of time. But it was there. And she hoped Clarke felt the same way.

 

Clarke feels her heart breaking. Dante had so much love for his wife. A woman who understood him inside and out. Clarke wanted a love like that. Someone who cared for her and looked at her with the same love Dante and Claire had. That's when she meets green eyes staring at her. It hits her again, “I love Lexa.” But it couldn't be possible, could it? To fall in love with someone in such a short amount of time. It had only been a month, maybe two? Well, if Rose and Jack could love each other so much in a span of days, then this was possible. It wasn't the time for movie references but Clarke needed something to go off of. 

 

“Why don't you two girls go on out and walk for a while? Let an old man get back to the car and enjoy the peaceful breeze?”

 

“Dante, no. We can walk you back.”

 

“Clarke, I may be old but I can walk. It's good for my legs. I need the exercise. Go, now.”

 

Lexa laughs, “Princess, let's not make an old man grumpy.”

 

“See, listen to her.”

 

Clarke smiles and they walk hand in hand down the lake path. Dante slowly makes his way back to the van and notices the black SUV parked a few spaces away. He walks over to it and notices two men. One is taking pictures of the girls and the other is asleep. As he moves closer to the SUV, he recognizes the man sitting in the passenger seat asleep. It was Cage. With a sigh he sneaks his way over to the driver side window which is rolled down and using the hook of his cane, he grabs the camera. It startles the driver and before he can do anything, Dante hits him so hard with his cane that the driver slumps over. It's enough to startle Cage awake.

 

“Dad? What the fuck?”

 

Dante takes the SD card from the camera and then smashes the camera into tiny bits. He keeps the SD card and looks at his son, “I love you, Cage. But you are going to leave those girls alone. They have done nothing to anyone. Back off or you and your buddies have another thing coming.”

 

He walks away and watches as Cage moves the driver and takes over. The SUV leaving the lake. He walks back to the van and sits down. He has to let the girls know about this. But he decides to let them enjoy the small moment they are having.

 

~~~~~~~~

 

Clarke and Lexa walk down the path and notices all the different flowers. Lexa having a grand time naming them all. Clarke enjoys it all too much. She makes Lexa lose her train of thought when she takes a purple crocus and places it in her hair. 

 

“Lex?”

 

Lexa has her mouth opened but shuts it quickly, “I'm… umm sorry. Where were we?”

 

Clarke laughs, “You were telling me about the crocus flower. The one I just placed in my hair.”

 

“Umm..right. Yeah. It umm…”

 

Lexa can't get her train of thought together and Clarke notices, “Haha, I made you speechless!”

 

Lexa pulls Clarke closer and kisses her. It's deep and catches the blonde off guard. She feels Lexa's tongue ask for entrance and Clarke grants it. Feeling their tongues slide together, both girls moan softly. Lexa pulls away and nips Clarke's bottom lip. 

 

“I've… been meaning to ask you, Clarke.”

 

Clarke shivers at the way Lexa says her name, “Yes, Lex?”

 

“Go on a date with me?”

 

Without missing a beat, Clarke kisses Lexa again and pulls away, “I'd love to.” They spend the next hour just walking hand in hand talking about nothing in particular. But it meant everything to the two girls. And off in the distance, Dante is smiling and closes his eyes.

 

He speaks to no one in particular, “Love is love. And those two have got it bad. Oh Claire, you would love them both. But I fear what our son may be up to. Please guide me so I can help them. I don't have much fight left in me. But I will protect those girls from anyone. Especially our son. God forgive me. Claire, forgive me.”


	12. Dates and Disasters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **WARNING** There is a scene of someone being beat up. Once you start to read about Luna leaving the library, you can skip to where Clarke and Lexa are talking. Also, if you've never seen the movie Titanic, I'm sorry if I ruin the ending for You! 
> 
> Guys, I'm back with another update!! It's sort of short but I wanted to share it with You All. I do hope you're not too hard on me. Without further ado, enjoy!!

Clarke couldn't deny it. She was insanely nervous. The week had gone by in a flash and here she was on Friday night. Lexa was due to pick her up for their date in less than an hour and she was having a wardrobe malfunction.

 

“Raven, Octavia, I'm just going to call Lexa and tell her I can't go. I do have that paper to write for AP English.”

 

“Ugh, Clarke! Quit being such a fucking nerd will you? Octavia knock some sense into her.”

 

Octavia laughs, “Oh yes, because I'm so good at that right? Clarke has a mind of her own. Hence why she Skyped us.”

 

“Clarkey, what did Lexa say to wear?”

 

Sighing, the blonde sits on the bed, “She said casual. I have nothing you guys!” She lets out a groan and pushes her face into her pillow. That's when she hears Raven clear her throat. 

“Get your ass up and spin us around so we can look in your closet.”

 

Clarke does as she's told. “Raven I really don't know…”

 

“Shh. I'm looking. Shut up long enough to let me.”

 

Clarke stays quiet and after a few minutes, Raven snaps her fingers, “Got it! Your black skinny jeans, the white t-shirt and your converse shoes or your vans. You decide.”

 

“Why the t shirt?”

 

Octavia scoffs, “Clarke, it shows off just enough cleavage while still being modest. Lexa will lose her shit. Trust us.”

 

She smiles at her two best friends, “Of course I do.” She grabs the articles of clothing and changes. She has to admit, she does look good. The jeans were perfect and Raven was right. The shirt showed off just enough cleavage but was also modest. The doorbell rings and Clarke smiles, “That's Lex guys! Gotta go! Love you both and thanks for the help!”

 

She quickly puts on her favorite gray converse and runs down the stairs. Jake answers the door, “Lexa! How nice to see you again!”

 

Clarke flies down the steps and kisses her dad goodbye, “Okay, Dad. We gotta go.”

 

Jake stops her, “Not so fast, Clarke. Lexa, I expect you to treat my little girl right?”

 

Lexa is nervous, “Y..yes, sir. She'll be home by one in the morning.”

 

Jake is glaring Lexa down, “Normally I like you, Lexa. But you're trying to date my daughter so I have to become the big scary father.”

 

Clarke groans, “Dad! You're embarrassing me. Please let us go?”

 

Jake nods his head and hugs Clarke goodbye. He looks at Lexa and with two fingers, points to his eyes and then points at Lexa's eyes to warn that he's watching her. Lexa has to stifle a laugh at the motion. Once he lets Clarke go, Clarke and Lexa are out the door and walking down the pathway.

 

Clarke is expecting Lexa's motorcycle but sees a black Ford truck. Clarke raises her eyebrow and Lexa notices, “Something wrong, princess?”

 

“You're a stereotypical gay.”

 

Lexa is confused, “Excuse me?”

 

Clarke bursts into a fit of laughter, “You have a motorcycle, and now a truck. What, a car ruins your image?”

 

Lexa notices what Clarke is talking about and can't help but laugh herself, “I like trucks. Plus it's a little cooler tonight. I didn't want to freeze to death if you don't mind.”

 

Once the laughing is done, Clarke can't help but notice that crooked smile she loved so much. Before getting into the truck, she pulls Lexa closer and kisses her.

 

Lexa lets out a surprised gasp and when Clarke pulls away, “Not that I didn't like it, but what was that for?”

 

Clarke smiles, “I couldn't help myself, Lex. You're just so...kissable.”

 

Lexa laughs and kisses Clarke again. Of course she tasted like mint chapstick. It was perfect. Clarke pulls away, “If we keep doing this, we're going to have to skip that date.”

 

Lexa feels a heat begin to pool in her lower stomach at the seductive sound in Clarke's voice. Before she can do anything, Clarke's phone begins to ring. Confused, the blonde answers it and hands it to Lexa.

 

“My...dad asked to speak to you.”

 

Gulping, Lexa takes it, “Hello?”

 

“You do know I can see you right? This is a window. Keep it in your pants!”

 

Clarke hears what her father is saying, “Oh my god! Dad!!” She hangs up the phone, “I'm so sorry, Lex. Let's go before I am even more embarrassed by him.”

 

Lexa laughs and helps Clarke into the truck and closes the door. She goes to the drivers side and soon they are on their way. Lexa turns the radio on and before she can change the channel, she hears Clarke singing. Clarke's voice is kind of raspy and deep but she sounds beautiful. 

 

“Lex, you're staring.”

 

Lexa clears her throat, “You sing beautifully that's all.”

 

Clarke blushes and smiles, “So tell me where are we going?”

 

Lexa blushes this time, “It's simple really. You'll see.”

 

They continue to drive when Clarke starts to notice that they are headed back to the lake that Lexa took her and Dante to. Lexa pulls in and Clarke notices there is a makeshift theater set up. There are other couples gathered around the lake. The girls find a parking spot and Lexa opens Clarke's door. Climbing out, the blonde follows the brunette to the ticket booth, “Two please.”

 

The young boy smiles and tells them to enjoy the movie. Lexa holds out her hand and Clarke happily accepts it. Walking hand in hand, Lexa leads them to the perfect spot. They are sitting in the middle close to the lake. Lexa sits first and pats the spot in front of her. Clarke smiles and sits down and leans back. Lexa wraps her arms around Clarke. Both girls love the way it feels. As they get settled in, a man selling popcorn and drinks passes by. Lexa calls him over and buys popcorn and two cokes. 

 

Clarke takes a coke and drinks some while she starts to play with Lexa's hand. She traces the lines and feels the softness of Lexa's hand. She notices Lexa has long fingers. And Clarke cannot help where her mind wanders to. What would it feel like if… she shakes her head. She already feels sexually frustrated around Lexa. She shouldn't make it worse. Trying to keep her thoughts clean, she continues to trace Lexa's hand. She looks up and notices Lexa drinking her coke. God Lexa was truly beautiful. She had long brown hair that was hanging over her shoulder. Clarke loved watching Lexa put it back into braids. The brunette’s jawline was designed by the gods. It was sharp and all Clarke wanted to was kiss it. So she did. 

 

Lexa looks down at Clarke, “Can I help you?”

 

A smile spreads across the blonde's face, “Nope. I'm good.”

 

Lexa laughs and shakes her head. There's a small noise and Lexa looks to the screen. Clarke notices and watches the screen too. And the familiar music comes on. Clarke holds Lexa's hand, “You found a park movie and it just so happened to be Titanic?”

 

Lexa laughs, “I've never seen it and I know you love it.”

 

Clarke can't help it. She pulls Lexa down to kiss her. Lexa smiles into the kiss and kisses Clarke again and pulls away, “If we want to watch the movie, we better stop doing this.”

 

Clarke nods her head and turns to watch the movie as Lexa tightens her grip around Clarke. The two watch the movie and enjoy being wrapped up in only each other.

 

~~~~~

 

Luna is working at the library. It's late but it was the only quiet place she had to do her homework. She finishes up and packs her things away. She hadn't meant to stay so late but there was a lot she had to catch up on. She walks out the door and down the steps. Before she can make it to her car, she looks around. A feeling of uneasiness washes over her and she pulls her phone out. She dials Lexa's number but it goes to voice mail. “Fuck.” She puts her phone away and walks faster to her car. Before she has a chance to get in, a hand pulls her by the hair and she is pushed hard against the wall. Trying to catch her breath, she looks at who pushed her and notices a sinister smile. The man steps into the light and she tries to place the face. She's seen this man before. 

 

“Luna Nightblood, 16, lives at home with her mother, father, and two little brothers.”

 

Luna is scared, “Who are you?”

 

The man gets mad and punches the wall next to Luna’s face. She screams and a hand is placed over her mouth.

 

“Sweetheart, I need you to shut up. My name is Emerson and you and your good for nothing friend stole money from me. You're going to tell me where it's at.”

 

Luna is genuinely confused, “I'm sorry, but I don't know what you're…” All she feels is a fist hit her hard in the stomach. She crumples to the floor and coughs. Emerson picks her up by the hair and pushes her back against the wall, “Where is my money?”

 

Trying to collect her breath, she says, “I...don't know what you’re t..talking about.” Emerson lets out a frustrated growl and slaps Luna in the face, “I'm not going to ask again, bitch. Where the fuck is my money?!!” Luna doesn't answer this time. She feels a fist connect with her mouth and she falls to the ground. Emerson kicks her in her stomach and before he can do anything else, he hears someone from the distance.

 

“Hey! Leave her alone!!” Emerson doesn't have much time. He picks Luna up by her hair and says in a low and menacing voice, “You two better give me my money. Otherwise, I will find every person you have ever loved and take care of them myself. You don't mess with the owner of the fight clubs.”

 

He walks away and a man comes up, “Fuck! Hey!” 

 

Luna holds her hand up, “H..help.”

 

“Hey, hey it's okay. My name is Murphy. Let's get you to a hospital.”

 

“No! I need to find Lexa. Lexa Woods. She's in trouble.”

 

Murphy feels his stomach churn. No one messed with his family. He helps Luna up and into her car and drives to Clarke's. If anyone knew what to do, it would be Clarke.

 

~~~~~

 

Lexa is frustrated, “Clarke, how can that be your favorite movie?” They walk hand in hand across the path by the river again. “I mean, she let him die!!! There was more than enough room on that driftwood!”

 

Clarke tries to control her laughter but can't. It was funny to see Lexa's reaction to the end of the movie. 

 

“Clarke it's not funny! You brought me to a fucked up movie!”

 

Clarke laughs out loud this time, “Lex! It's a beautiful love story. I never told you I liked the end of it. I just like how they meet. How they fall in love with each other and nothing could keep them apart.”

 

“Yeah, except Jack dies in the end!!”

 

“If you paid attention, genius, you would have noticed that Rose died in the end too. And she made her way back to Jack who was waiting by the clock again. You can't beat that ending.”

 

Lexa sighs, “Fine, I guess you do make a logical point. But I still didn't like it.”

 

Clarke laughs again and pulls Lexa into a kiss, “Okay, next date, I let you choose the movie. How's that?”

 

Lexa lift an eyebrow,  “So there's going to be another date?”

 

Clarke blushes, “Umm well I mean…”

 

Lexa laughs and kisses Clarke again, “I'd love to go on another date with you, Clarke.” Clarke smiles and kisses Lexa again. Both girls turning it into something more. Before it can become too heated, Clarke's phone begins to ring. Realizing the ring tone, she pulls away, “I'm sorry. That's Murphy. He only calls when it's an emergency.” Lexa understands and lets Clarke answer. 

 

“Murphy what's wrong?” 

 

Lexa can see the fear and anger rage in Clarke's blue eyes, “Say that again?” She puts the phone on speaker and Murphy's voice comes through, “Clarke, some guy beat up Luna and is blaming her and Lexa for stealing some money from him. Get home now! I have ever one on their way to your house. We need to figure this out.”

 

Lexa looks at Clarke and both girls begin to run to the truck. They hop in and speed their way to Clarke's house. Once they get there, Lexa is out in a flash. She spots Luna’s car and runs to it. She can see a man sitting in the front seat and notices Murphy. She nods her head as a silent thank you and goes to Luna. She notices her lip is split open and a bruise in the shape of a fist is starting to form. Lexa notices three cars pull up. Bellamy, Octavia, and Lincoln come in one car. Monty, Jasper, Miller, and Maya come in the other. Anya and Raven pull up in the last car. Anya is at Lexa's side so quick, Clarke has to wonder if she even parked the car. The Woods’ sisters tend to Luna. 

 

Clarke clears her throat, “Guys… maybe my mom should take a look at Luna.”

 

“Clarke.”

 

Clarke sighs, “Please, Lex. My mom won't cause a scene.”

 

Lexa nods her head and Luna smiles weakly, “We haven't formally met, I'm Luna.”

 

Clarke smiles as she helps Luna up, “It's nice to formally meet you, Luna. I'm Clarke. Let's get you inside okay?”

 

Luna nods and lets Clarke help her into the house. Anya watches as everyone follows her. She stops Lexa by her arm, “Lexa, what are you going to do?” Lexa looks at Anya with hard eyes, “Something I should have done a long time ago.” 

 

Anya watches her sister pull out her phone. Lexa dials the number and takes a deep breath, “Indra. I need your help.”


	13. A plan begins to form

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys!! I bring you another update. I went a certain way with it and wanted to see what you thought! Let me say this, I know NOTHING about medical terms and issues. This isn't realistic though thank goodness. Please don't be too hard on me. I played on everyone's strengths hopefully! Without further ado, enjoy!

Indra answers her phone with a groggy voice, “Hello?” She can hear a deep breath and Lexa's voice comes through. 

 

“Indra, I need your help.” Indra is up in a flash and getting dressed. The urgency in Lexa's tone has her worried. Gustus is right behind her as they get to the stairs and into the garage. Gustus drives out and looks to his wife, “Do you have everything?”

 

Sighing, Indra looks to him, “Gus, of course I do.” Gustus chuckles, “You are allowed to feels scared you know.”

 

“Trust me, I do. But our kids need us tonight.”

 

~~~~~~~

 

Abby is woken up in such a hurry she nearly has a heart attack, “Jesus, Clarke!”

 

“Mom, I need you. Now. Please come downstairs.”

 

Abby doesn't question. She gets up and follows her daughter. When she reaches the bottom of the stairs, she sees the delinquents. They are all standing around a young girl who looks scared. Abby takes in the sight of her and immediately goes into doctor mode, “Clarke, get my bag from the bedroom. Your father knows where it's at. Lexa, bring her into the room I took you. Who saw what happened?”

 

Murphy stands up, “I did.” Abby nods, “I need you to come too. You're going to explain what happened because that girl is terrified. Let's move. I assume Indra is on her way?”

 

Anya nods, “Lexa called her a couple minutes ago. She should be here soon.”

 

The door opens, “I'm already here. What happened?”

 

Lexa is helping Luna into the room when she hears Indra, “Indra, this is Luna. The girl who called after my fight that night you knew I had snuck out. Luna, tell her what happened?”

 

Abby cuts in, “Not before I check her out. Luna, it's going to take some time. If you're not too injured, we'll get you patched up. But if there's something even close to being wrong, it's straight to the hospital.”

 

Luna is scared but nods her head, “O...okay.”

 

Abby takes over at moving Luna into the bedroom, “Go talk to your mom, Lexa. I've got it from here.” 

 

Lexa gives Luna to Abby and walks over to Indra. Indra simply puts an arm on Lexa's shoulder and Lexa is in tears, “Mom, I'm so sorry… please forgive me.”

 

Indra hugs her, “My sweet girl, it's okay. Whatever happened it is not your fault.”

 

“But it is. I got involved in those stupid fights and now my friend is in there beat up. She did nothing wrong!”

 

Indra holds Lexa tighter and the room is silent. They give the two women the space needed. Clarke notices but takes the medical bag to Abby. Jake comes downstairs and looks at Gustus, “How about we make some food?”

 

Gustus nods, “I couldn't agree more. Give them their space.” The two men go into the kitchen and begin to prepare food to feed everyone.

 

After two hours, Murphy, Clarke, Luna, and Abby come walking out of the room. Lexa gets up quickly from the couch and goes to Luna. Luna holds up her hand, “I'm okay. Dr. Griffin says I'm okay.”

 

“Please dear, call me Abby. Any friend of Lexa's is a friend of ours.”

 

“Luna, I'm so sorry. I can't… I'm just… this wasn't even about you. I'm so sorry.”

 

Indra moves over to Abby, “How bad is it?”

 

“This guy broke two ribs. I've wrapped them but it's a clean break. There's no chance for internal bleeding. Her jaw will be bruised for a while. This guys left a clean fist mark on her face. She's scared, Indra.”

 

Indra writes everything down and Abby joins Jake. He is holding a plate with a grilled cheese sandwich, “I hope you like grilled cheese. I didn’t have much.” He hands Luna the plate and then offers one to Abby. The two look over to Clarke who has moved closer to Lexa. They watch as the brunette leans into Clarke's touch but still tries to comfort her friend. Jake then looks to the kids all sitting with each other. They didn't have to be here but if one was in trouble, Jake understood that they were all here. Indra is talking to Murphy and Luna. Luna explains that a man named Emerson was the one who did this. He accused Luna and Lexa of stealing money from him and he wanted it back. Lexa was trying her best to control her anger but can't when Luna tells her that if they don't give him his money back, Emerson would harm everyone Lexa loved. 

 

Lexa doesn't know how to handle it. She clenches her fists so hard her knuckles turn white. She gets up and walks straight to the backyard and slams the door shut behind her. Anya is about to stand up but Raven puts a hand on her arm. Anya looks confused but watches as Clarke goes outside. Raven smiles gently, “I think you've done enough for Lexa since you were kids, An. Let Clarke handle this. You just be here for Luna right now.” Anya sits back down and kisses Raven. Raven lets out a surprised gasp but sinks into the kiss. Anya pulls away, “Thank you for being here. For talking some sense into me. And for loving me and my flaws.” Raven smiles and kisses Anya again. Together they both look to Luna and try to talk with her and help keep her calm. 

 

~~~~

 

Standing in the cold night air does nothing to clear Lexa's thoughts. Her mind is racing a million miles a minute. She hears the door open and shut behind her. She's not in the mood, “Anya, not right now.”

 

“It's not Anya.”

 

Spinning around, Lexa is face to face with ocean blue eyes, “Clarke… please… I don't have the energy for this right now. Please just go back inside.”

 

Clarke shakes her head, “Lex, what's going on?”

 

Lexa sighs, “Always such a princess! Just go back into the fucking house!” Tears threaten to spill but Lexa grits her teeth. What she doesn't expect is for Clarke to yell back.

 

“You don't get to do that! Have me close and then shove me aside because you think I can't handle it. You're in way over your head and you want to push me away? Real fucking smart, genius!”

 

“Clarke, I'm not pushing you away. I don't have the patience. Please just stop pushing!”

 

“No, Lexa. What the fuck is going on? Who was that guy and why are you so angry?!!”

 

Lexa pushes Clarke against the wall and kisses her hard. She picks the blonde up and Clarke wraps her legs around Lexa in an instant. Lexa doesn't let up. She kisses Clarke hard and full of passion. It makes Clarke moan and Lexa pulls away. She nips Clarke's ear and whispers in a broken voice, “I can't… I can't have you close to me, Clarke. You're everything to me. My world, my sunlight. Clarke, I love you and Emerson is threatening to harm everyone I love. You have to get away from me. Your friends too.”

 

Clarke wipes away Lexa's tears and kisses her, “You idiot. That's why I can't leave you alone. I can't go away. Because I love you too, Lexa. And you're not alone. You've got all of us here beside you. You and Anya are not alone anymore. We'll figure out this whole thing with Emerson.” 

 

Clarke watches beautiful emerald green eyes come to a realization, “Clarke! That's it! We have to talk to Indra now.” She gently puts Clarke down but kisses her softly. The two girls walk hand in hand back inside. Lexa immediately finds Indra on her phone. Once she's off, she tells everyone who called.

 

“That was the district attorney, Marcus Kane. He seems to be very fond of Lexa and Clarke. Apparently you two girls are good friends with his mother.”

 

Clarke and Lexa look to each other and smile. Lexa looks at Indra, “What did he say?”

 

“He said that Carl Emerson is a known thug. He has connections around the entire city but is so good at covering his tracks, they can't find anything to stick to him. He gets off with a warning. Luna, are you sure it was him?”

 

Luna looks up from the grilled cheese Jake handed her, “I'm sure. He said his name was Emerson.”

 

Indra write more information down and looks at everyone, “You guys, I will do everything I can but considering this guy is good, it's going to be hard to make anything stick. Unless we can catch him doing illegal activity.”

 

Lexa grips Clarke's hand and speaks up, “I… have an idea actually.”

 

All eyes turn to the brunette and she feels nervous. She clears her throat, “I have a feeling that Roan and Echo are behind this. Roan had a buy in for our last fight and met with someone to pay so I could...compete. I was beat up and the cops came. They left Luna and myself stranded with no way out. Maybe… just maybe he stole the money. He told me the other day that I would be crawling back to them because I needed them. I think this is what he meant.”

 

Indra is starting to piece together the information and has a hard expression on her face, “Lexa.”

 

Lexa holds up a hand and everyone listens, “Hear me out. There has to be a reason Roan lied to Anya and me about his last name and that he was the son of Nia. Let me “crawl" back to them and figure out what's going on. I can move my way up and get as much information as possible on Emerson and take him down.”

 

Clarke is horrified, “No. Lex, you can't! That would mean going into the world of underground fighting! You barely made it out of the last one!”

 

“I agree with Blondie. Lexa you can't be serious. You're my sister. I'm not allowing it.”

 

“Sorry, An. You don't make the decisions for me. Indra, I know you don't want to but it's the only way. Otherwise, this guy is going to keep terrorizing everyone here. If he knew Luna and her family, that means he's been watching everyone of us. I can't do that. I don't know what I got myself into but I want to get out of it without anyone else getting hurt.”

 

Indra sighs, “I don't want this to happen, Lexa. I hate the very thought of it. I can't.”

 

Gustus puts a hand on Indra’s shoulder, “Indra, you know she has a point. I don't want her to do it either but she's strong. And if I know her well enough, I know that she has her mind made up. If you don't allow it, she will do it anyway.”

 

Indra raises her chin, “Fine. But you will be trained by Gustus. You are going to learn how to fight better than those people. If I feel it's becoming too dangerous, I will shut it down, Lexa. And I mean it. I will move you girls half way across the country if I have to in order to keep you safe.”

 

Anya and Clarke look to each other and without hesitation they speak at the same time.

 

“I'm going.”

 

“Anya will be there too.”

 

Lexa is horrified, “NO!”

 

Raven shouts, “Absolutely not!”

 

“Raven. Think about it. Lexa is going in by herself. With the two of us, we can advance faster and get more information that will actually bring this whole thing down. You can't deny it. You can't either, Indra.”

 

Abby stands up and sighs, “It seems we have a rebellion on our hands. You know these damn kids are going to figure a way to do this with or without our permission. If this is really going to happen, I will teach each of you how to do normal stitches and pop bones back into place. I will have the ER manned after each fight just in case someone gets hurt too badly. Clarke, you'll help me teach the rest of the delinquents. Indra, Gustus, Lexa, Anya, you four discuss the plans some more. It's been a late night. I suggest everyone stay here to sleep. Or discuss amongst yourselves what role you're going to play.”

 

Jake stands up and wraps an arm around his wife and kisses her cheek, “I couldn't have said it better myself. We'll talk more in the morning. It's a good thing you kids have a month off.”

 

The delinquents all look around at each other. They had forgotten that they had time off from school. They were glad too because it meant that they could focus on bringing down this Carl Emerson. They each looked at each other and shared small smiles. It was a lot to ask of them but they would do whatever they could to protect one of their own. Lexa and Anya had become family. There's nothing they wouldn't do for family. Little did they know that each person would play an important part to help bring down the big mobster. They were only 16 and 17 years old but they felt much older. Before following her family, Lexa looks at everyone. The adults had left the room to talk.

 

She stands up and speaks out, “I'm sorry to each of you. I've managed to put you all in danger. When I fought, I didn't think it was going to become this big. I didn't know what I was getting myself into.”

 

Murphy scoffs, “Jesus, enough with the apologizing. I told you already, anyone messed with you, we had your back. I have your back. Lexa, you are so fucking dense it's unreal. We care about you. You're no fucking picnic to be around sometimes but you've become part of this… dysfunctional family that Clarke has managed to put together. You're so used to fighting on your own. You too, Anya. You're so used to it just being you two that you don't realize you have people to turn to now. So get over it. It was a mistake, they happen. They happen quite a lot. But as long as you're honest with us, we will carry you when you're down. So shut up and let us help where we can.”

 

Raven gets up from the couch next to Anya and goes to the closet. She finds her backpack and pulls out her laptop, “Ha! I knew I left it here.” They all watch as she opens it up and plugs it into the television. She pulls up a YouTube video of Lexa and her first fights. Anya watches with cold eyes as her sister fights with everything she has.

 

Raven sighs, “I figured you guys could watch this and learn the weak spots. I'll see what else I can do to dig up information on this Emerson guy.”

 

Anya looks to Raven with kind eyes, “Since when are you a hacker?”

 

“Haha, babe. I'm more than just a genius mechanic. I'm good with computers too. Plan on being am engineer or a CIA operative. Working covert ops.”

 

Anya laughs and kisses the Latina, “You surprise me every time.”

 

Murphy watches the television, “Pause it. Lexa, you fought against Cage Wallace?”

 

“You know him?”

 

He nods at the brunette, “I used to run with his crew before Clarke found me. I can join him. He works closely with all the leaders of the fight club.”

 

Bellamy wraps his arm around Murphy, “Don't do this please?” Murphy kisses Bellamy, “Love, I have to. Trust me, I'll be safe. I've learned enough about love and compassion to never go back to that life again. But I can put on a good show. Maybe see what I can find out.”

 

Jasper and Monty come forward, “Jasper and I were thinking we could get back into the business too. I've still got that recipe for my moonshine. Lex, if you could introduce me to Roan and Echo, I'm sure we could get a deal struck up. We could join you in the fights and listen to the small talk going on. I'm sure there will be a slip up and we'll get some good information too.”

 

Maya and Miller look at each other. They don't like the idea of that but they let it go. Monty and Jasper were good with this stuff. They had brought alcohol to each party they had and it worked quick. Monty used to sell it as a side business but quit because he met Clarke. Clarke taught him how to harness his gifts into something more productive. And wherever Monty went, Jasper came along. 

 

Bellamy watches the fights, “Actually, look.” He points to someone standing next to the fighters, “I can be a bodyguard for you and Anya, Lexa. I'll go with you to every fight and make sure no one touches you girls. Gustus can train me as well. The other bodyguards may talk and maybe we can figure out some small stuff as well. Lincoln, maybe you could join me.” Lincoln nods his head, “That would be a good idea. Although, bodyguard isn't what they are. The people are more like enforcers. They keep the crowds away too.”

 

Lexa and Anya watch the entire room of kids. Friends and family that cared for them. They were all willing to do something to help the girls win and take down Emerson. They could do this. They were smart and had the will power.

 

Clarke looks at everyone. She's still angry with Lexa but looks to her friends, “This is going to be hard. We're only kids in high school yet we're talking like we're FBI agents. This is going to be dangerous. We can't be seen by anyone else who might be following us. If anyone finds out about this, Emerson will probably go into hiding and I don't want that. We need to bring him down for good. We need to bring down as many people as possible. This is scary. There's a real possibility that we could get hurt or worse. If anyone wants to back out, then do so. I won't be mad at anyone.” They all stare back at her and she nods her head, “Since sleep is out of the question, let's show you guys the basic stitches for an open wound. We'll start our plan tomorrow. I want everyone here tomorrow morning and whenever we can get some time in, we are all going to practice these sutures. I also want to ask Gustus if he can train the rest of us as well. I know some of us aren't as advanced but any help we can get will suffice. We need to be prepared. Not that it'll happen but if we get separated or taken, we know how to fight our way out. Are we agreed?”

 

They all agree with Clarke and Lexa has to admit she is extremely turned on by Clarke's dominate tone. She's never heard it before and she quite likes it. Clarke brings out a kit and hands as many tools as she can. The group double up to share and watch what Clarke does.

 

~~~~~~

 

The adults are in the kitchen. Abby pulls down the scotch and pours them all a glass. Indra downs her, “I do not like this at all. They are kids. We are sending children into this mess because that's who Emerson is going for. I can't.” Abby pours her another glass, “Neither can I, Indra. But we have to let them do this. They are smart kids.”

 

Jake drinks from his glass, “They all look out for each other. And our kids are strong. They have level heads and know when it's too dangerous. You can't get angry at them for wanting to try. After all, you and Indra were only 16 when you joined the military.”

 

Abby and Indra are shocked. How did Jake know that? Gustus chuckles,  “Girls, our friend here is not just an engineer but can hack into just about any computer. A talent I'm jealous of. We know the lives you had and never questioned why you lied about your age to join.”

 

Abby puts her glass down, “It still doesn't make me feel any better to know what that girl is going to put herself through. They're children, Jake.”

 

Jake sighs and takes his wife's hand, “They'll be okay. It's hard and trust me, I'm just as scared, but I know they can do this. Come. Let's go see what those kids are up to.”

 

They leave the kitchen and make their way into the living room. The sight they see makes them stop in their tracks. The delinquents are all working on easy stitches. Clarke is over seeing them. Abby feels a little proud. 

 

“What's this?”

 

Clarke looks to her mother, “Mom, we… made a plan.”

 

Indra looks at the kids, “A plan?”

 

Lexa puts down the suture kit she's working with, “They've…all agreed to help out. Murphy is going to go back into Cage Wallace's crew. Figure out what's going on with him and if he has any connection to Emerson. Bellamy and Lincoln are going to become my and Anya's enforcers. Make sure no one comes near us. Jasper and Monty are going to go back into their business of moonshine and provide the booze for these fights. Maybe the right buyer will come by and spill his guts about it all. Raven is going to...look into files and cases about Emerson. See what she can find out about his life. Gustus… could...you train us all? Clarke made a good point. If anyone of us gets caught, we need to know how to get out of it.”

 

Indra is stunned, “You kids came up with a plan and I haven't even involved the FBI into this investigation. This… is incredible.”

 

Octavia stands up from the couch and walks towards the adults, “We are a team, Indra. Once we put our minds together, we are unstoppable. I've been thinking though, Anya.”

 

Anya looks up from her suture kit, “Yeah?”

 

“Roan knows you and Lexa right?”

 

“He does.”

 

“Did you ever fight?”

 

“Well no but…”

 

Shaking her head, Octavia speaks, “I'm not trying to pull you out of this. I know you want to protect your sister. But if you never fought, he's gonna get suspicious about the sudden interest in fighting.”

 

Anya sighs, “I don't like where this is going.”

 

Lincoln stands beside Octavia, “Neither do I.”

 

Octavia smiles sheepishly, “I'm just being honest when I say that maybe I should be the one to go with Lexa. Roan wouldn't be suspicious of anything because I'm a new face. Plus it gives Lexa the upper hand. Because with her big sister, she's seen as protection.”

 

“Who are you people?” 

 

Everyone turns to stare at Jake, “I'm sorry, but are you sure you're children? You're talking and acting like you're in some war and Lexa is your great commander. And Clarke is a great leader. What the hell did I walk into?” He laughs and Indra sits down on the couch. 

 

Taking a few moments to collect her thoughts, she puts her hands together, “If you guys are serious about this, then let's do it. I will call every agent available and tell them to standby while my “Team" takes the lead. This isn't right and I don't want to do this but fine. Emerson was in the military for a while. Jake, why don't you help Raven figure it out.”

 

“I don't know what…”

 

“Please, Raven. Don't lie. I know it was you who changed the lunch menu at school. That's small compared to what we can do kiddo.”

 

Raven blushes and Jake laughs and goes to stand by her. Abby brings out blankets and pillows, “It's time to get some rest now. Tomorrow you all have a busy day.” Everyone takes a respective spot and lays down. Gustus and Indra are given the guest bedroom. Clarke watches everyone begin to settle in for the night. Sighing, she stands up to go to her bedroom. Lexa notices and follows. She sees Clarke's door is slightly open and she knocks quietly.

 

“Clarke?”

 

“Come in.” 

 

Pushing the door, Lexa sees Clarke standing in the middle of her bedroom, “What's wrong, Clarke?”

 

Clarke closes her eyes at the sound of Lexa saying her name, “Lex… I'm scared. We're kids. We should be enjoying the month off we have. Not trying to take down some gangster. Although, I won't lie. I feel like I'm in an episode of Criminal Minds.”

 

Lexa lets out a breathy laugh and Clarke revels at the sound, “My mind went there too. Could you imagine us being in the FBI?”

 

The blonde gives a small smile, “I could actually.” She feels Lexa's arms wrap around her and kiss her neck, “Talk to me, Clarke. What's on your mind really?”

 

Clarke releases a tired sigh, “Lexa, I don't want you to do this. I don't want you to fight and get hurt and bruised up. You were so broken the last fight.”

 

Lexa watches ocean blue eyes release a few tears. She wipes them away, “Clarke, I'm so much stronger now. I have an entire family to support me. We'll get this done quickly. And after, I would like to talk about...us.”

 

Clarke turns around and is facing Lexa, “I would like that. But for now, bed?”

 

Lexa kisses Clarke and smiles,  “Bed.”

 

The girls crawl into Clarke's bed and Lexa holds her close that night. The sound of Lexa's heart beat lulling Clarke to sleep. With a heavy heart, Lexa watches the blonde woman sleep. God she has never been more in love with anyone. She had to win these fights. She was going to take down Emerson and keep her family, keep her Clarke protected. In the dark, Lexa notices the nightstand. There's a picture of Dante and Clarke and Lexa smiles. She feels sadness creep through her. She wouldn't be able to visit Dante with Clarke anymore.

 

Gritting her teeth, Lexa fights back the tears that threaten to fall. She does one last thing to set their plan in motion. Pulling out her phone, she types in Roan’s number from memory and sends him a message. She locks the screen and pulls Clarke closer. The sound of Clarke's even breathing lulling Lexa to sleep. 

 

Her phone buzzes with a response but Lexa already knows what it says..

 

[ **Lexa 2:30 AM]:** _I need to get out of here. Sign me up for another fight. And I'm bringing a friend._

 

**[Unknown Number 2:32 AM]:** _ About fucking time. Baseball field like we used to.  _

 

The plan was ready. Gustus would begin training. They could do this. Lexa would freeze hell over to protect her family.


	14. A plan is only as good as its first move

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I bring you yet another new chapter! This one has a comment in it that one of you beautiful readers left on the last chapter and I loved it so much so I thank you for it! Please don't be too hard on me? It's long winded but will get better! There is a fight scene towards the end so when you read about Octavia facing someone, feel free to skip until the end. Protect yourself dear readers. As always, without further ado, enjoy!

Roan goes to his mother, “She texted. She's ready to do this again.”

 

Nia sits in her office looking at paperwork, “Good. That still begs the question of where is that money, Roan?”

 

Roan sighs, “So what if I took it mom. Why does it matter?”

 

Nia stands up, “Why does it matter?!! Roan, you are the dumbest person ever. You don't mess with Carl Emerson! He has resources and people all over this town and the city. I gave you that money to buy Lexa in because I wanted her to fight for me! I've got my own agendas to follow through with. And now because of your move, I've had to answer to Emerson.”

 

“Mom, I pinned the money on Lexa and Luna. We can still get Lexa to fight for us. We just need her to win the rounds with Emerson first to “pay back" what she stole.”

 

Nia pinches the bridge of her nose, “I read a comment somewhere that said, ‘A plan is only as good as its first move, then it all goes to shit.’ You don't mess with Emerson. Especially not with money. If you go down, I don't know how I'm going to get you out. Now get out of my sight. I need to focus on this.”

 

Roan leaves his mother's office and goes into the living room. Echo is sitting down, “What's wrong?” “I fucked up and I don't know how to fix it." Echo stands up, “Well, how about we… take care of one thing at a time. Roan watches as Echo unzips his pants. He smiles, “Not here. Let's go to the bedroom.” 

 

~~~~~

 

Clarke opens her eyes and feels Lexa in bed beside her. The sun was coming in through the blinds creating an ethereal glow on Lexa. Clarke's breath catches in her throat. Lexa looked so peaceful. Her hair is splayed out over the pillow and the even rise and fall of her chest makes Clarke curl up closer. In this small moment, she really looks at the brunette sleeping beside her. Lexa is like no one Clarke has ever met before. The brunette was dangerous to a degree but had a soft side that not many people knew. But Clarke did. And she loved every minute of the Lexa that was kind. The Lexa who would give a crooked smile or let a young boy hang on her like she was a tree. It wasn't just Lexa's beauty that made Clarke crazy.

 

Who could deny that Lexa was anything but beautiful? No, it was the small details that managed to capture Clarke's heart. The way that Lexa lit up when they walked through the flower gardens. The way Lexa only smiled that crooked smile for Clarke. The blonde loved how gentle Lexa was with everyone at the Center. How she taught Vera more about the Eden tree and brought her a simplified version of tree care. The way she fought with Jaha and his son over who was better looking on reality television. But what really had Clarke falling fast was the way Lexa was with Dante. 

 

Dante had taken the troubled brunette under his wing and Clarke noticed the difference in Lexa. She was trying to be kinder. Lexa wasn't so angry at the world around her anymore. When they were together, Clarke loved looking over to her two favorite people in the world and watching them share secrets. Whether they were talking about her, or sharing past lives, Clarke didn't ask. It was none of her business. As long as it helped Lexa. 

 

The brunette begins to stir and Clarke snaps back to reality. There was still so much going on. They had so much that needed to be done. The delinquents would begin training with Gustus today and that meant a lot of hours and stiff muscles. She had to prepare her family for the worst possible people they would come into contact with. Of course Clarke understood that they could handle it. But she couldn't help it. In the words of Dante Wallace, Clarke lived with the mantra, “I bear it so they don't have to.” Clarke was ready to fight tooth and nail for her people. But looking at those beautiful jade green eyes, Clarke realizes, she would kill for Lexa. And that alone was enough to get Clarke motivated. Nothing was going to happen to them. No harm would come to Lexa or Anya. 

 

“I can hear your thoughts from here.”

 

“I'm sorry, Lex. Go back to sleep. I didn't mean to wake you.”

 

Lexa sits up and pulls Clarke into her arms, “Hey… what's on your mind?”

 

With a heavy sigh, Clarke straddles herself over Lexa and stares into those magnetic green eyes, “I'm worried, Lex. Not about the crew but you and Octavia. You're going into this blindly and something just… doesn't feel right.”

 

Lexa puts her hand into Clarke's blonde locks and pulls her in for a kiss, “We'll be careful. We can do this Clarke.”

 

With a nod, Clarke smiles and kisses Lexa again, “Okay, not to be rude, but I have severe morning breath. And...so do you.”

 

Lexa blushes and shoves Clarke off, “You jerk.”

 

Clarke laughs loudly and gets up to pull Lexa along with her and they go to brush their teeth.

 

~~~~~

 

Raven and Octavia are on the floor, panting. Bellamy is leaning on a wall and Murphy has his head between his knees. Jasper is looking up at the ceiling and raises his hand, “Anyone else feel like dying?”

 

Raven laughs and takes breaths in between her sentence, “I'll...take that...deal, Jas.” Anya is standing over Raven, “What's the matter, babe? Tired?” Raven flips her off and the crew manage to laugh. They have their attention diverted towards the mat. Clarke and Lexa are still sparring with Gustus. They had lasted the longest of the crew. 

 

Lexa is going against Gustus and he has his stance ready. Lexa goes to strike but Gustus moves so quick to kick Lexa's leg out and make her fall into the splits, “You focus too much on playing offense that you weaken your defense. Focus on all parts of the fight.” Lexa steadied herself and crouches low. She watches Gustus carefully and walks back. Gustus moves forward. This is where she wants him. In her court to where she has the advantage. Gustus punches but Lexa blocks and kicks her leg out. Her foot connects with his left side.

 

“Good, Lexa. That was sneaky.”

 

“Isn't that what I want?” She answers back with a smirk. 

 

Gustus takes her arm so quickly and has it spun behind her back and she's on the floor. He is holding her just hard enough that she taps out. “Never get too cocky. That's how people find your weak spot like I did. That's enough for today. Gang, finish your training with a run back to the house. 

 

“GUS WHAT THE FUCK! That's like a million miles!!”

 

Gustus bursts into laughter, “Oh, Raven. It's only three miles. You want to get strong? Do as I say. My wife is serving dinner tonight. Let's move it!”

 

At the sound of food, Raven and Jasper are up and out of the dojo in a flash. Anya shakes her head, “Remind me why I'm dating her?” Everyone laughs and they start to run out the door. Clarke is about to when she notices Lexa standing back.

 

“Lex?”

 

Lexa stares at Clarke with an unreadable expression, “I'm horrible at this Clarke. I have a meeting with Roan at midnight tonight and I'm not even ready for another fight. Let alone Octavia.” She sighs, “I'm sorry. I know she's your friend.”

 

“Hey, it's okay.” She puts a hand on Lexa's shoulder, “She knows she's not ready yet either. But don't count O out yet. She's got a ferocity that matches a pissed off lion. She will train harder than ever for this. Trust me.”

 

Lexa looks into ocean blue, “I do trust you, Clarke.”

 

Clarke loves the way her name sounds rolling off of Lexa's tongue. She speaks in a low voice, “I know how hard that is for you.” 

 

The two break apart quickly when Gustus clears his throat, “You two are going to be late if you don't hurry.” 

 

Clarke and Lexa blush but take off out the door. They race each other and Lexa is surprised that Clarke keeps up, “Not bad, Princess.”

 

Clarke laughs, “I run a lot.”

 

They keep a steady pace and find that they have caught up to their friends. They laugh and make jokes at each other. The stress of what they are about to start looms over them like a dark cloud but for now? Well for now they could be just what they were. Kids.

 

~~~~~

 

Dinner was amazing. Lexa didn't realize how starving she had been. It also meant that her friends must have been starving too. They ate like kings. Indra and Abby made more than enough food to feed a small army. Jake and Gustus of course working the meat. They had laughed when Gustus made a joke.

 

“You all eat like pigs! But you could use it. Bulk up. We train tomorrow again.”

 

Hysterics broke out shortly after because Raven made a very loud whine. After the delinquents finished cleaning up, they all gathered with the adults in the theater to watch movies and play games. It was a small gesture to let everyone have one more normal night. Lexa is sitting in a chair with Clarke wrapped in her arms much like their first date. 

 

Clarke is tracing Lexa's hand with her fingers and it is driving Lexa crazy. They look at each other and then their friends. Murphy would be leaving in the morning to meet with Cage and find out what he could. They notice Bellamy holding on to him a little tighter than normal. But Murphy doesn't seem to mind. They notice Octavia and Lincoln wrapped up in each other. Lincoln wasn't happy but at midnight she would be leaving with Lexa to the meet up with Roan. Raven and Anya were talking and laughing about something in the movie but Lexa knew her sister all too well. She could tell Anya was worried. And Clarke understood Raven. The Latina was brave but even this had her terrified. 

 

Then they both look at Jasper and Maya. They are already falling asleep. It seemed as though they didn't have a care in the world. Jasper trusted Monty with his life. Monty and Miller were wrapped up in each other as well. They were laughing and just trying to forget what they would all be up against soon. 

 

Lexa looks down to Clarke right as the blonde looks up to her. They both give each other small smiles and Lexa can't help it. She bends down and kisses Clarke. She lets the taste of mint chapstick wash away the nervousness she felt. Clarke understood and looked at Lexa, “Lex, it's going to be okay. We'll get through this and go on with our lives.”

 

“What if we don't, Clarke?”

 

“Hey, don't talk like that. We have the numbers. The training, the smarts even. With the help of both our parents, we will take care of this.”

 

Lexa relents for the night and kisses Clarke. They lay down and try to get some sleep. 

 

~~~~~

 

Anya is standing over Lexa, “Lexa, it's almost time. You and O have to go.”

 

With a yawn, Lexa kisses the sleeping blonde next to her. This would be the last time they had together. It was dangerous if Emerson sent his goons to watch Clarke and Lexa showed up. She couldn't have it. With a heavy heart, she leaves Clarke and notices Octavia is awake. The girls don't speak but just head to the kitchen. Indra and Abby are sitting by the Island and having a cup of coffee. Indra looks at the two girls walking in. “Are you ready?”

 

Lexa nods her head, “As ready as I'll ever be. I don't… want to do this but if it means protecting everyone, I'll do it.”

 

Indra hugs Lexa tightly, “We should be the ones protecting you, Lexa. You've brought so much joy to my family and have touched the lives of everyone here. You girls please be careful. Figure out what you need to do and report back to me. I'll pass the message along to the FBI and we'll go from there.”

 

Lexa and Octavia listen well and say their goodbyes to the adults. Lexa takes her keys to the Ford truck and Octavia climbs in. Before they can leave, Clarke comes running out, “Lexa!”

 

Lexa turns and has just enough time to catch Clarke as she barrels into her, “You were going to leave without saying goodbye?”

 

She grips Clarke tighter, “It made it easier.”

 

“You act like we are never going to see each other again. We are training in a couple of hours with Gus.”

 

Lexa laughs, “I guess I've made dramatics out of this.”

 

Clarke kisses the brunette, “Yes, you have. So stop. I'll see you when you get back.” 

 

Lexa kisses Clarke one more time and gets into the truck. They drive away and Clarke has tears in her eyes. Abby is standing by the door and holds her arms open. Clarke falls into them, “I love her mom.”

 

“I know sweetheart. Come, let's get you inside.”

 

~~~~~

 

Octavia and Lexa are silent as they drive to the meet up. That's when Octavia can't stand it anymore, “Lexa?”

 

Lexa looks at the younger Blake, “Yeah?”

 

“I don't...want to make you feel bad but why did you decide to join fight club?”

 

Lexa can't help the guilt that washes over her, “Octavia, because I was angry I guess. I was mad that I had to be moved yet again to a house. And I wasn't sure what Indra’s motives were. There's always a motive when you're in foster care. So I let Roan talk me into this. He said the key word every teenager likes to hear, money. So I did it. The first fight was exhilarating. I was so happy I won. But I was also so bruised up it was hard to move. And I hated it.” 

 

“So you let your friends talk you into this?”

 

“I thought they were my friends. Listen, Roan and Echo are assholes.”

 

“I can deal with assholes, Lexa. Murphy used to be the worst before he met Bellamy.”

 

“Well, these guys are probably worse. Kids in foster care can be some of the meanest depending on their life story.”

 

Octavia laughs, “You mean like you before Clarke?”

 

Lexa laughs, “Exactly. You ready?”

 

Octavia nods as she noticed Lexa pull into an old baseball field. Turning of the truck, she notices Roan’s car and Echo is on the truck. Stepping out, Echo notices them and knocks on the window. Roan steps out and smiles, “Lexa! I see you brought a friend?”

 

Echo scoffs, “You brought a goody two shoes? What the fuck?”

 

Lexa glares Echo down, “Octavia wants to join and she's good. She will get us more money.”

 

“What's in it for her then?”

 

“She can speak for herself. I want half of what you guys make. I got a life to start after all.”

 

Roan raises an eyebrow, “You're dating pretty boy. Why do you want money when he's loaded?”

 

Octavia laughs, “Because I want my own money.”

 

Roan laughs, “Oh, Lexa! She's fantastic. Alright, you might be a little rusty so we'll start off slow.” Before he can explain any further, another person comes out of the car. Lexa recognizes her cold face immediately.

 

“Nia.”

 

“Hello, Lexa. How wonderful to see you again. And you are?”

 

Octavia doesn't let herself feel intimidated, “Octavia.”

 

Nia looks down at the two girls, “I do so apologize for this meeting but my son finally got you to meet. As my son was stating, we are going to start off slow. Ah, here they come.”

 

Lexa follows Nia’s gaze and notices another car pull up. Ontari climbs out along with another girl that Lexa doesn't know.

 

“What is this, Nia?”

 

“Dear, this is your initiation fight. You beat my champion once before. You beat her again and you will be my prize fighter. As for Octavia, well if you can even still stand after fighting Dakiva, then you will be considered as well. And since you've brought this new comer, Lexa, it will be Octavia who fights first.”

 

“Nia, why are you going this?” Octavia hears Lexa question but is already headed for the girl Nia called out. They stand facing each other. The girl is fierce. Octavia gulps, she could do this. She was close to the higher class and she could do this. She just had to pay attention. 

 

“Lexa, I am doing this because there is a lot at stake here. I cannot take the chance. FIGHT!”

 

Dakiva moves quickly and punches Octavia hard in the nose. She feels the blood start to trickle down and tries to regain her focus. Dakiva uses the split second to bring her foot up but Octavia sees the kick coming and grabs a hold of her foot. The girl tries to pull out of Octavia’s grip but Octavia doesn't let go. Instead she punches the top of the thigh twice and the girl screams out in pain. Octavia had hit the nerves and made the girls leg go numb. Dakiva is pissed off and charges at Octavia. She picks Octavia up and slams her into the ground. Octavia feels the air knocked out of her and struggles to stay conscious. The girl is punching Octavia hard and still she doesn't tap out. Instead, Octavia looks and finds an opening. She kicks her knee hard into the other girls crotch and then with her heel, kicks the numbed leg hard. 

 

Dakiva cries out and Octavia shoves her off. She is on top of Dakiva and punches her in the nose and then in the stomach so hard that Dakiva taps out. Octavia stands up and tries to catch her breath. It's hard to breathe and she is wiping the blood from her nose.

 

Nia is surprised. She thought for sure this small girl would have lost. With a smile she speaks up, “Welcome to the club, Octavia. Roan, get the girl a towel. Lexa, you're next.”

 

Lexa goes to Octavia, “I'm so sorry, you okay?” She tilts her head back to assess the damage, “It doesn't look too bad.”

 

Octavia laughs, “Kick her ass, Lexa.”

 

Lexa smirks and walks over to Ontari.

 

“Oh I've been waiting for this rematch.”

 

“Then let's get it over with, yeah?”

 

Octavia watches and notices that Ontari is cocky. She smiles to herself. Lexa would win. Lexa watches Ontari and Nia starts the fight. Ontari lunges quickly but Lexa dodges and hits Ontari in the side. Ontari gets mad and goes after Lexa again. Lexa laughs as she dodges it again and hits Ontari in the side again.

 

“What's the matter? Too fast for you?”

 

Ontari growls, “You Bitch!!” She runs and this time her fist connects with Lexa's mouth and splits her lip. Lexa doesn't let it bother her. Ontari gives an evil grin as she walks towards Lexa. She moves closer and tries to hit Lexa in the stomach. Lexa is quick. She grabs Ontari by the arm and pins it behind her. Then she slams Ontari hard into the ground and pulls until Ontari taps out. Lexa whispers, “Don't be cocky. It's how you lose.”

 

She gets up and stands near Octavia who high fives her. Nia is pleased, “You girls have proved to be far better than I assumed. Clean up and go home. There is a fight in two days. Be ready.”

 

She dismisses the girls and they walk away to the truck. They drive off and Roan moves next to his mother, “What do you think?”

 

Nia gives an evil grin, “Octavia is great leverage should Lexa feel the need to leave. Call Emerson and tell him we have Lexa. But he is to be on my terms with what to do with her. She's my prized fighter, Roan. We have a winner and when we take the top, we can get rid of her just as easy.”

 

~~~~

 

When they reach the house, it's after 3 in the morning. Octavia is holding her nose, “She broke my nose.” Lexa looks over to the girl, “No, I think she just dislocated it. Abby might have to pop it back into place.” Octavia groans. They walk into the house and Clarke is hugging them both. That is until she notices Octavia, “What happened??” 

 

Octavia sighs, “I had to fight. This Nia chick wanted to see we were worthy I guess.”

 

Anya comes out along with Lincoln, “I'll kill her.”

 

Anya places a hand on Lincoln's shoulder, “Trust me, I know. But it isn't worth it. Look, she's okay.”

 

Lexa smiles, “Okay? Octavia kicked some serious ass.”

 

Octavia smiles, “Yeah, this is enough fighting for me to last a lifetime. I'm just glad you've all trained me so well.”

 

Indra is looking at them now, “Did you plant it?” Octavia smiles, “Of course I did. They were all too focused on Lexa fighting Ontari.”

 

“She made you fight Ontari?”

 

Lexa nods to her sister, “Apparently I've become the prized fighter now.” Anya shakes her head and stands with Raven who comes out of the theater. Octavia goes to Indra, “You can turn it on now I think.”

 

Indra manages to grab a small radio and clicks it on and they hear Nia’s voice come through, “Octavia is great leverage should Lexa feel the need to leave. Call Emerson and tell him we have Lexa. But he is to be on my terms with what to do with her. She's my prized fighter, Roan. We have a winner and when we take the top, we can get rid of her just as easy.”

 

All eyes land on Lexa and Octavia. Lincoln holds Octavia tightly to him. Clarke makes her way to Lexa and holds her close. Raven doesn't mean to but the last words she repeats is just what everyone is thinking, “Shit just got real didn't it?”


	15. Everyone has a job to do

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my, it's getting good!! I added a little Ranya and Clexa action in there. And i love Monty in this chapter!! Don't be too harsh on me okay? Enjoy!

When put in dangerous situations, there is always a fight or flight response. There are certain actions that begin to happen. Muscles begin to contract and the body is pumped with adrenaline. It's either time to stand your ground or run away and live to see another day. This is where Lexa's mind is at. Fight or flight. It was an hour before her first fight and she was terrified. She had trained for two days with Gustus, she became stronger and faster in such a short time it surprised even her. But she didn't want to fight. More importantly, she didn't want Octavia to fight. Octavia was quick and nimble but she wasn't ready. These people were going to crush her. It terrified Lexa. She is sitting on the bench in a makeshift locker room. The light is flickering above her and is casting shadows along the wall. She looks up from the shadows when she hears the door open.

“Hey, I thought I would find you here. How are you doing?”

Lexa gives a weak smile, “I'm scared, Murphy. More for Octavia than myself. And the fact that her boyfriend and brother are here. I can just feel them glaring at me.”

He sighs and sits down, “Lexa, I'm pretty sure they aren't glaring. They're just as scared as you are. But Octavia is crafty. Trust me when I say that she's going to be alright.”

Lexa nods, “How did you manage to sneak away from Cage?”

This time he laughs, “Please, I don't sneak away from anyone. Cage is a lap dog for Emerson it seems like. Emerson calls him on the phone, Cage does whatever is said. I don't think he's even met the man.”

Lexa snorts, “Any incriminating evidence?”

“Sorry kid. No such luck. Although I'm trying to get Cage to turn against Emerson. To try and make Emerson lose at least one group. It's not much but there's enough illegal activity going on to put Cage away.”

Lexa liked the thought of that. Before she can say anything else, they hear the music start and Murphy knows it's his cue to leave. He hugs Lexa, “Good luck, Kid. Don't fuck this up. I'll see you when I see you.”

Lexa hugged him back, “Thanks, Murphy. I appreciate it.”

“What's family for?” He winks and slides out of the door without anyone noticing him. Lexa stands up and rolls her shoulders. She should be focusing on the fights but her mind wanders to a certain blonde with blue eyes. Hearing her name being called, Lexa made a decision. She would fight. But her mind was wondering where Clarke was.

~~~~~

Clarke was a nervous wreck. Lexa and Octavia were set to fight tonight and she couldn't be there. If she was, Emerson would use Clarke as leverage and Lexa made Clarke swear she wouldn't step foot near the fights. Well, when Lexa kissed Clarke in such a passionate way, Clarke agreed. She was sitting at home pacing back and forth.

“Clarke you're going to create a hole in my floor. Your mother is on duty tonight in case things happen but I doubt either of them will be hurt badly.”

Sighing, Clarke throws her hands up, “How come everyone else gets to go?”

Jake chuckles, “Because Lexa is smarter than you and knows how to convince you to stay put. Don't tell me anything. You're still innocent!”

The comment was enough to make Clarke laugh, “Dad!”

Jake becomes serious, “Clarke, I know you're worried. Trust me, I'm worried too. You are all my children. A father just doesn't stand by. We help. But I know my place is here at the computers. Raven is rather good at hacking. She and I have been going back and forth compiling evidence. She went silent an hour ago.”

Clarke nods, “Anya took her on a date. They needed just a small dose of normality before completely delving into some horrific pasts.”

Jake nodded in understanding, “I can tell you need to do something. Go visit Dante. I'm sure you would be allowed in. They love you there.” Clarke hugged her father, “You're a genius, Dad!” 

“Don't forget it!” He calls after her but she's already out the door.

~~~~~

Octavia was standing with Lincoln and Bellamy. It was a good thing Roan and Echo hadn't picked them up. Octavia didn't have to explain why they were with her. But she knew she would have to eventually. Shaking her head, she stares out into the crowd. Lexa would be fighting first from the sounds of it. Then she was up after. Her nerves were all over the place. She could feel her heart beating so quick and couldn't sit still. Lincoln noticed and smirked.

“You're going to draw attention to us.” Octavia smiles sheepishly, “Sorry. I'm just excited.”

Bellamy has a sour expression on his face, “You're excited to get beat up?”

“Bell, come on. You know that's not it at all. I'll be fine. Trust me.”

“O, you can't be serious? I'm still pissed you decided to do this and the fact that everyone was so fucking willing to let you.”

Lincoln speaks up, “Back off, Bellamy. None of us wanted her to do this. We all knew it had to be done. Don't take it out on her. She doesn't want to do this either. But she knew what was at stake and she knows she can make a difference. So stop sulking. I don't like it either but I'm supporting her. That's all we can do.”

Octavia looks up at Lincoln in amazement. She pulls him close, “Let's get out of here after this?”

Lincoln laughs and nods his head. Bellamy rolls his eyes but then a pair of arms snake around him and he knows in an instant.

“Miss me?”

“So much.” He kisses Murphy and Murphy smiles, “I should leave more often if I get that response.”

Bellamy punches his arm, “Don't be an ass.” Murphy laughs and kisses Bellamy again, “I've gotta find Cage but I'll see you soon, alright? And O?”

“Yeah?”

“Good luck.”

Octavia smiles, “Thanks, Murph.”

Murphy walks away and finds Cage sitting at the makeshift bar. Taking a seat, he orders himself a shot. Cage watches him. He slurs his words, “You know, I don't understand why you came back. You've got everything going for you.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

Cage laughs and staggers to Murphy. Murphy can smell the red bull and Jager on his breath. “Murph, I mean, I've seen you with that Bellamy guy. He makes you happy. Why come back?”

Murphy laughs, “Because you were good to me, Cage. Wanted to check up on you.”

“I was a dick, Murphy. I still am one. I mean, my father threatened to do something if I didn't leave that girl and the blonde alone.”

Murphy realizes he's getting somewhere. He takes out his phone and puts on his recorder. He slides closer to Cage and gives a flirtatious smile, “You mean, Lexa and Clarke?”

“The one and the same. Emerson wants her dead apparently. Guess the bitch stole some money and Emerson wants it back. He plans on seeing Lexa tonight. Drawing her in and then setting her up for the next fight. The fighter, me, is supposed to kill her. And I'm about ready to." Murphy stops recording and gets up. He had to get this to Indra and quickly. 

~~~~~

Abby stood in the ER filling out charts. The doctors assigned originally were happy to switch with her and let her man the ER. Abby kept a team of residents and interns on call with her. They were bored out of their minds but Abby? Well, she couldn't stop thinking about the fight. Would her girls be okay? Lost in thought, she doesn't hear her name being called. She is startled when she sees Maya walking to her.

“Maya?”

“Hi, Mrs. G. I couldn't sleep with Jasper being gone so… I baked some cookies. I live right down the street so I figured I'd stop by.”

With a soft smile, Abby takes the cookies, “That's very sweet of you. Come and sit. We can worry together.”

Maya sits with Abby and they make small talk. Both of their minds too preoccupied with the events unfolding without them being there.

~~~~~

Jasper and Monty showed up at the fights. They brought four cases of Monty’s famous moonshine and began to sell it for five dollars a cup. It was cheaper and more effective than the bar so a lot of people came by. Jasper and Monty were listening out for any information they thought would be valuable. Adjusting his goggles, Jasper notices a tall man surrounded by even more intimidating men, he whistles. Monty looks up at the sound of Jasper’s secret call. The man approaches them, “Boys, who are you?”

Jasper smiles, “We're your local sellers. Try a cup my man. On the house.”

The man takes the cup and takes a drink, “This is good, boys. Jeff, fire our original provider. You boys have joined the team. How would you like to be apart of Emerson Inc?”

Monty smiles, “We'd love to, sir. For the right price.” 

Emerson raises his eyebrow, “Excuse me?”

Monty motions him closer, “I mean no disrespect, sir. But my moonshine isn't cheap and if I get caught, I'd rather not get arrested. Catch my drift?”

Emerson grins, “You boys will have the greatest protection money can buy. Meet me tonight in my office after the fight. We'll get a contract drawn up and discuss the terms of payment.”

Monty shakes his hand, “It's a deal.”

~~~~~

Anya was good with her tongue. “Fuck!” Raven sucks in a deep breath. She had been talking with Jake about new information found on Emerson. Anya had other plans. 

“Babe, stop doing that. I need to ah...I need to concentrate.” Anya began to lick at Raven's collar bone and bit down gently, “Enough concentration. You need a break. I need a break.” She managed to take Raven's shirt off and began to kiss down her chest. Raven was trying to concentrate long enough to let Jake know she was on a date with Anya. It wasn't the whole truth but he didn't need to know the details. Throwing her phone to the side, she lays down and pulls Anya on top of her. Fuck Anya had a magical tongue. Raven moans and Anya manages to make Raven fall apart so hard she needs to pull away. Still shaking, she kisses Anya.

“You're a sex God!”

Anya laughs, “I'll take that.” They kiss and Raven sits up, “There's still so much to do.”

Anya sighs but kisses Raven's bare shoulder, “Why are you stressing so much?”

Raven looks at Anya, “Because, An. You're everything to me. And Lexa has become family. We do everything for family.”

Anya wipes a tear, “Thank you.”

Raven kisses her, “Anytime. And to answer more thoroughly, I'm stressing because neither Jake nor myself can find anything on this guy. It's like the trails just go dead.”

Anya thought about it, “Why not look into the cases with the same lawyers and judges? I would think they would have things filed away. Maybe look into the bank accounts if you can find it?”

Raven beamed and kissed Anya, “Oh you genius! I love you so much!” Raven texts Jake and they get to work.

~~~~~

Dante is sitting in his room reading a book. He doesn't really pay attention to the words though. His mind still wandering to his son. With a disgruntled sigh, he puts the book down and begins to shuffle around in a desk. Pulling out a pen and paper, Dante writes down a few words. He closes it up and puts it away into his drawer. He would have Marcus look over it later. Before he can do anything more, there's a small knock on his door. 

“Come in?” Dante expected to see Vera or even a nurse coming to check on him. What he didn't expect was Clarke to be staring at him. He smiles, “Clarke! What a nice surprise! Where's Lexa?” That's when he notices the tears in her eyes. “She's fighting isn't she?”

Clarke fills Dante in on everything and he places a worn hand over hers, “My dear, I must confess that day we went to the lake? There had been a van following us. I..approached it only to find it was my son.”

Clarke gasps, “And you're choosing just now to tell me?”

Dante looks down, “I didn't know it would lead to all this, Clarke. I'm sorry.”

Clarke can't be mad, “Dante, it's okay. I'm not mad, I'm just scared. The love of my life and my best friend are out there fighting and I'm here. Doing nothing to help.”

Dante has a thought. He moves over to his desk and opens a small drawer. He pulls out a small business card, “Cage gave this to me when he first dropped me off and left me here. He said if I had any trouble, this man would get me out of it. I met Carl Emerson once. He was a horrifying man. I saw him beat up a woman for no reason other than she hadn't smiled at him when he smiled at her. I don't have much, but I can testify against him in court. I'll testify against my son too.”

Clarke's eyes go wide, “Dante, you would really do that for us?”

“Clarke, you are my family. I lost my son a long time ago and he needs to pay for the things he's done.”

Clarke manages to get ahold of Indra and she comes down to the center. They talk for hours and before Clarke knows it, it's two in the morning. She says goodbye to Dante and Indra and decides to drive home. She gets into her car and her phone beeps. 

**[Court Jester ❤ 2:15 AM]** _ I won. Octavia won. I'll be at your house soon. _

Clarke feels the butterflies in her stomach and drives a little faster than she should.

~~~~~

At the end of the night, Lexa and Octavia have won their rounds. Octavia doesn't know how she did it. There was one second she almost lost but came back swinging and knocked the girl out with one punch. At the end, the two girls waited in the makeshift locker room. Bellamy and Lincoln managed to sneak out and wait at the car. Nia came in, “Girls! You were excellent! Octavia, that was a sneaky move and I can't believe you managed to win!”

There's a knock on the door and Cage Wallace comes in followed by Murphy. Cage is so drunk he slurs each word, “Emerson would like to see Lexa in his office right away.”

Nia nods her head and looks to Lexa, “Go. I'll be right down here with Octavia.” Lexa walks up the stairs and knocks on a door. It is opened and she can hear a man's voice, “Ah! Lexa come in, come in! Please give me a moment. Allow me to finish this meeting with Monty here.”

Lexa and Monty pretend not to know each other. He smiles, “That was a good fight you put on. Next time, I'll put my money on you.”

Lexa smirks, “Thanks. I'll try not to disappoint.” Emerson clears his throat, “I've set it up. You and Jasper keep 65% of the profit of sales, you'll be protected by my guys. Trust me, I know a lot of people. Even a few cops are on my payroll. You two will have full ownership and freedom to set up anywhere you wish. You just have to sign here.” He points to an X and hands Monty a pen. Monty reads over it but before he signs, he makes a comment that Lexa is sure will get him in trouble.

“Actually Sir, if my partner and I are going to be working for you and having all this protection, I'd like a list of names. If my parents come home and see big guys around, I've got to give a valid excuse do I not? And then on top of that, I am demanding 70% and a copy of this contract before I sign my name to it.”

Lexa is shocked and Emerson's eyebrow twitches. Monty is a small guy but in here negotiating, he looks almost ten feet tall to Lexa. Emerson laughs, “65% is good enough. I need to make a profit.”

Monty smiles, “No disrespect sir, but you would be getting 30% if we took 70 of it. If I make as much as I did tonight, you would be getting a little over sixteen hundred dollars. It levels the playing field, you make more money than your competitors, I have enough money to put me through college and the protection to keep the cops off my trail. And a copy so I know the terms and a little proof in case you decide to double cross me. Not that you would sir. But just as my signature benefits you, I need your trust as well.” 

Holy shit Monty was good at this! Lexa watches Emerson think it over. Emerson takes the contract and rips it up. He creates a new one with Monty’s demands and a list of all the names. Plus a second copy. Monty and Emerson sign both copies and they shake hands, “Pleasure doing business with you, sir.”

“I'll say. You ever want a job with me, Monty, I'll make it happen. You've got a good brain and could make me a whole lot of money.” Monty smiles at the man, “I'll think about it. Thank you.” And he leaves the room. Emerson turns his eyes to Lexa, “Come in, sit.” He points to a chair and Lexa sits. Emerson sits behind his desk, “I have to ask, how is your friend Luna? I heard that someone hurt her pretty bad.” Lexa has to keep her anger down so she bites her cheek and answers, “She's doing okay. It was dark and she doesn't know who it is but she's safe.”

Emerson grins, “Well Lexa, you've got a fantastic fight streak. Every fight you've been in, you've managed to win except one. And tonight, you're walking away with only bruises. You fought like a champion.”

Lexa nods but doesn't say anything. Emerson continues, “There was a fight you took part in. Against one of my best fighters, Cage Wallace. I believe he bested you.”

“Well, Cage was superior. He knew what he was doing. I didn't.”

“Exactly. I also remember Roan paid your way in. And when I went to get my money while the cops raided the place, I discovered it was gone. Care to explain?”

Lexa stay silent and watches as Emerson folds his hands together, “Well Lexa, you don't have to admit to it. Roan already explained everything. And considering you do come from an orphanage, I can understand why you stole the money. So, to rectify the situation, I've come up with an idea.”

“What idea would that be?”

Emerson laughs, “How about a chance to redeem yourself? Cage is ready to fight. You will fight him and if you win, then we'll call it even. I'll leave you alone for the money you stole.”

“And if I lose?”

“Oh my dear, well, then it looks like you're my prized fighter until I feel like you've paid me back.”

Lexa can't argue, “When will this fight happen?”

Emerson slams his hand on the table and laughs, “That's what I'm talking about! I'm not one to wait, so in three days. Go and prepare. And Lexa?”

Lexa is getting up to leave, “Yes?”

“Good luck.”

Lexa didn't like the way Emerson's eyes gleamed at her. She nods her head and walks out. Taking a deep breath, she sends a message to Clarke.

**[Unknown Number 2:15 AM]:** _ I won. Octavia won. I'll be at your house soon. _

~~~~~

The early hours of the morning find Lexa and Clarke wrapped up in a blanket looking at the stars. Lexa explained everything that happened and Clarke listened to every word. Clarke explained what Dante had told her and how Indra had been called. Lexa was happy. Dante was on her side.

Clarke shivers and Lexa pulls her closer. Clarke leans into the extra warmth and smiles, “So, am I invited to the next fight against Cage?” Lexa stiffens, “Clarke, no."

Clarke sighs, “Lexa, one I was kidding. And two, why not? You've already gained his trust.”

“Clarke, we aren't going over this again.”

Clarke gets up and walks away from Lexa. With a sigh, Lexa stands up and grabs Clarke's hand, “Clarke, wait.”

“What, Lexa? Come to tell me sternly I can't leave either?”

Lexa tries to contain her anger, “Clarke, that's not what I mean and you know it. I'm not some evil girlfriend trying to control you.”

“Yeah I know but it feels like that Lexa. I know you're just trying to keep me safe but sitting here and doing nothing while everyone has a job, I'm not helpless! I can help you!” 

“I know, Clarke! I know but it's better this way.”

Clarke glares at Lexa, “Better this way?! Lexa it's like you don't want any help! Like you're on some suicide mission because of what happened with Luna!”

“No, Clarke that's not it!”

“Then what is it, Lexa!?”

“Clarke, stop, please.”

Clarke has walked Lexa up against a wall, “Lexa, what are you trying to do”

Lexa spins them around and pushes Clarke into the wall and kisses her hard. When she pulls away, she speaks softly, “Clarke, I know you're not helpless. And it's not a suicide mission. I don't want you there because I don't want you to see me fight. To think of me as some monster because it gets brutal in there. Plus I don't want anyone to try and fight you or use you as leverage against me. Especially Emerson. Clarke, you've become the most important person in my life. I love you with every ounce of me I have. And I can't. I won't.” She has to stop because she tears up and Clarke places a hand on her cheek, “I'm sorry, Lex. I didn't realize and I was being an idiot.” She kisses Lexa softly, “I'll stay away from the fights. But you're important to me too. I love you so much, Lexa. And I worry so much about you.”

They kiss again and this time, it gets heated. Lexa picks Clarke up and Clarke wraps her legs around Lexa's waist and her arms around Lexa's neck. Lexa nips at the blonde's lip asking for entrance and Clarke relents. The feel of Lexa's tongue makes Clarke moan and she begins to roll her hips to seek a certain friction. With breathy whispers, Clarke speaks, “Lex, take me to the pool house.” Lexa kisses her again and they walk to the pool house. Lexa opens the door and shuts it. She pushes Clarke against it and begins to kiss down her neck. She bites hard but soothes it with her tongue. Clarke moans and Lexa moves then over to the small bed. Laying Clarke down, she speaks, “Clarke, are you sure?”

Clarke nods, “I've never been more sure in my life.” She pulls Lexa down and they kiss again. Lexa kisses down Clarke's neck and chest and slowly removes the blonde's shirt. Clarke was in pajamas so she had no bra on. The sight that greets Lexa makes Lexa's lower stomach pool with heat. “God, Clarke. You're beautiful.” Clarke blushes and moans when Lexa bends down and pull a nipple into her mouth, “Fuck, Lex!”

Lexa smiles and continues her ministrations. She focuses on one nipple and then the other. Clarke needs more and her hips begin to buck up into Lexa. Lexa smirks and kisses down Clarke's stomach. She licks down to Clarke's belly button and watches as her skin jumps at the contact. Hearing another moan, Lexa removes Clarke's shorts and sees just how wet Clarke is through her underwear. “Lexa, please.”

The desperation in her voice keeps Lexa from teasing her. She removes Clarke's underwear and begins to slowly kiss down Clarke's beautiful legs. And back up. Finally, she stops at Clarke's center and gently licks Clarke's slick folds, “Holy shit!” Lexa is turned on. Hearing Clarke moan and curse was beginning to take its toll. She focuses on pleasing Clarke fully. She starts slow and then gains speed, finding Clarke's entrance with her tongue. “Lexa, fuck yes!!” 

After five minutes, Lexa finds the spot that has Clarke close to the edge, “Fuck, Lex! I'm gonna come!” Lexa wants to see this so she replaces her tongue with two fingers and begins to suck on Clarke's clit. She looks at Clarke in all her glory. Naked, sweat forming over her body from their actions. Clarke is gripping the sheets so hard her knuckles turn white. Lexa doesn't stop, “Lexa, uhh, yes!!!” The moan coming from Clarke is purely pornographic. Lexa goes even faster and feels Clarke tighten around her fingers followed by Clarke yelling, “LEXA!!!” Lexa doesn't waste any of Clarke's flowing juices. She licks gently to help bring Clarke down from her orgasm. Clarke has to pull Lexa up, “Too tender. Hold me?” 

Lexa smiles and kisses Clarke. They both moan when Clarke tastes herself on Lexa's tongue. Before Lexa moves, Clarke takes her two fingers and sucks them into her mouth.  “Fuck, Clarke.” Clarke smirks, “It's the quiet ones you've got to watch out for.” With a quirk of her eyebrow, Clarke is on top of Lexa, “You're very overdressed.” Lexa feels the heat between her legs and laughs, “What happened to holding you?” “After I please you too, Lex. I'm all about fair treatment.” 

She takes off Lexa's shirt and bra and begins to kiss her breasts. Lexa moans when Clarke brings a nipple into her mouth and bites. Clarke doesn't stop but she also begins to rub her clit over Lexa's abs. Lexa feels the wetness and moans. Clarke loves the sound and kisses down Lexa's chest and to her abs. She licks her way down and then back up. She bites Lexa's neck hard leaving a dark hickey. Lexa moans and bucks her hips up. Clarke takes Lexa's pants and underwear. She feels just how wet Lexa is when she uses her finger, “Shit, Clarke!” Clarke smiles and teases Lexa first. Lexa groans, “ClaRKE!!” She was about to tell Clarke to stop teasing when Lexa feels two fingers plunge into her. She grips the sheets, “Fuck me, Clarke!” Clarke goes harder and begins to lick and suck at Lexa's clit. “Clarke, I'm gonna!!!” And Lexa feels the earth leave her body. She's floating and is only connected by the feel of Clarke's tongue and fingers. Clarke begins to help bring Lexa down from her orgasm. When she stops, both girls are spent. Clarke kisses Lexa, “I love you, Lexa Woods.” Lexa's eyes are drooping shut but she smiles as Clarke begins to spoon her, “I love you too, Clarke Griffin.” Both girls fall asleep and for a little while, everything felt like it was going to be okay. 

~~~~~

“Clarke Griffin, you have been a dirty secret. And the perfect leverage.” Emerson had followed Lexa after the fight. He wanted to make her suffer in the most brutal way possible. And Clarke was the key to make Lexa crumble. Sure it was overreacting, but no one crossed Emerson without learning the consequences. That's how he stayed in power. He would pay a visit to Clarke soon. But for now, he had some planning to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I suck at writing about sex. But I wanted to add it in here. Stay tuned!


	16. What will become of Clarke Griffin?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **TRIGGER WARNING** There are fights and punches and kidnapping in this chapter, you may skip to the end if you can't read it. Please you guys, protect yourselves.
> 
> I know I know!! I'm so sorry!! Please forgive me for not writing in such a long time! Real life got the best of me. I aced my second exam. And now I give this next chapter!! It's not my favorite but I needed to get the story moving and I have an idea or two for the next chapter. Please be kind to me Okay? Without further ado, enjoy!!

Cage wakes up with a massive hangover. He groans as he sits up in bed and rubs his face. Standing up, he gathers himself and walks to the bathroom. His phone goes off and he yells out as the pounding in his head becomes a splitting pain. He finishes washing his face and then answers his phone, “Yeah?”

 

“Is that anger I hear?” 

 

“Emerson, no. Sorry, drank too much last night.”

 

“Well, get your shit together and head over here. I have a job for you that I want to set in motion.”

 

“I'll be there in ten.”

 

Hanging up the phone, he showers and makes himself look a little more presentable. With a sigh he walks out the door and makes his way to Emerson's office. When he arrives, a woman let's him in and he walks upstairs.

 

“Ah, it's about time.”

 

“Yeah, what is this job?”

 

“Oh, Cage, relax. You're gonna like this one. It's easy.” He pulls out a picture and hands it to him, “Do you know this girl?”

 

Cage takes it and notices who it is right away, “Yeah, Clarke. She's a caregiver down where my father is staying.”

 

“Hmm, excellent. I want you to kidnap her and bring her here. If she fights you, use Lexa against her.”

 

Cage automatically thought about his father's warning, “Emerson, why do you want her so bad? They haven't done anything, come on man. They're just kids.”

 

Emerson glares, “If you don't want to do it then fine. But I would watch your back out there without my protection.”

 

With a heavy sigh, Cage shakes his head, “I'll have her here within an hour.”

 

He smiles, “Good boy. Now go.”

 

~~~~

 

Lexa feels at peace. In this moment, she watches Clarke sleeping and smiles. This was it. Lexa had chosen her future partner, her lover. And it was the blonde sleeping naked before her. Lexa took the time to really trace Clarke's features. The soft skin that made the blonde shiver when Lexa kissed there. The moans she made when being pleasured. It was everything Lexa had ever wanted. How could she leave such an angel? With a heavy heart, Lexa places a soft kiss to Clarke's temple and gets dressed. She needs to meet with Gustus. Training had to be everyday if she wanted to have any chance at winning. 

 

After leaving a note for Clarke, she closes the door quietly and makes her way down to the gym. Gustus is opening up and smiles, “I hear you and Octavia won.” 

 

Lexa returns the smile, “We kicked plenty of ass. I know she's tired. They are brutal those people.” Gustus nods his head and leads Lexa inside, “Come on, let's begin.” 

 

~~~~~

Jake fell asleep at his computer. It wasn't something he did very often but he and Raven had begun to look deeper into Emerson's records. Who took all his cases, any weak link. He and Raven didn't have very much luck but they didn't give up. He gets woken up by Abby, “Hey you.” She kisses his cheek and he gives her a sleepy smile, “Hey yourself. I missed you.” 

 

Abby laughs, “I did too. Lexa and Octavia didn't come in last night so I assume they are good. Clarke is asleep, why don't we head out for some breakfast ” Jake smiles, “Let me.brush my teeth and we'll go to the cafe?” “Sounds good.”

 

~~~~

 

Clarke woke up to an empty bed. As she lays there, she pulls the pillow closer. The smell of Lexa's shampoo still on it. As she lays on her back, she touches the parts of her body that Lexa had kissed or touched. She remembers the feeling of Lexa's fingers and lips. The smile spreads across her face. As she gets up, she notices the note.

 

_ Love, I went to train with Gustus. He has me on a strict regimen. I didn't want to leave you. God you looked so beautiful laying there. But we are one step closer to ending this and then you and I can really talk about us. I want there to be an us. Forever yours, Lexa. _

 

Clarke feels her cheeks begin to hurt with how wide her smile is. Grabbing her clothes, she walks over and starts to change. Looking in the mirror, she can see all the marks Lexa left. And Clarke was proud to show them off. She wanted nothing more than to belong to Lexa.

 

She leaves the pool house and walks into the kitchen. Before she has a chance to call out for her parents, she notices the note that they were out themselves. Clarke thinks about her parents. She wanted a love story like theirs. They had been together for so long and still loved each other like they were teenagers. She could already imagine it. Lexa with gray hair, matching wedding rings and six to seven grandkids running around. People may argue that she's too young but she was madly in love with Lexa. She was it for the blonde. It made sense. Clarke makes breakfast for herself and thinks that maybe she does believe in fairytales and happy endings. After finishing up and washing her dish, Clarke goes upstairs to shower. Little does she know what was waiting for her on the porch just outside. 

 

~~~~~

 

Cage didn't want to to this. Clarke was innocent. They all were really. But when Emerson had a bone to pick, he made sure to pick it clean. He quietly picks the lock to the front door and slips inside. He can hear the shower going so he decides to look around. The house was nice. He notices the pictures of the Griffin family. They are all smiling. Clarke being the center of attention in almost every one of the photos. Her parents look so proud. Once the shower shuts off, he sits in the kitchen and waits. 

 

~~~~~

Clarke dries her hair and changes into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. She notices it's Lexa's t shirt and smiles. Hearing her stomach grumble, she walks down stairs to the kitchen and opens the fridge. She pulls out a few eggs and a pack of sausage. As she turns around, she screams when she notices someone sitting at the kitchen table. The eggs fall out of her hands when she doesn't recognize the man right away.

 

“What's the matter, Clarke? Don't remember me?”

 

The voice is familiar, “Cage? What the hell are you doing here?” 

 

“Oh Clarke. Don't ask questions you don't want the answers to. Emerson wants your company today. And you're going to give it to him.” 

 

“Who? What the fuck is going on?”

 

Clarke doesn't like the way Cage laughs, “Clarke, don't play dumb. He knows all about you and Lexa.” 

 

Clarke takes off and runs upstairs. Cage is slow but follows behind her. She slams the door to her parents bedroom closed and Cage bangs on it, “Clarke, no use in fighting me!” Clarke is trying to control her breathing. She rushes to the window and opens it. She can't hear Cage banging on the door anymore. She walks away from the open window and hides behind the door. 

 

Cage kicks the door open and barely misses hitting Clarke. She has to hold her breath from screaming. Cage runs to the window, “Fuck! I'll find you, you stupid girl. He runs quickly out of the room and Clarke waits. She hears crashing glass downstairs and makes her exit. She goes into her father's office and grabs the phone. She quickly dials Indra’s number.

 

“Hello?”

 

She whispers, “Indra? Cage Wallace is in my home trying to kidnap me.” Before she can say more, Cage bursts through the door, “Stupid!” Clarke tries to back out but the office is too small and she's trapped. She feels Cage pull her hair, “You're coming with me.” Cage drags Clarke out of the room. She is trying her hardest to fight him. She relaxes and finds an open spot. She punches Cage in his crotch and he let's go of her with a yelp. Clarke takes off running. “You stupid bitch!”

 

~~~~

 

Indra hears her phone ring,  “Hello?” She can't make out the voice too well but she hears the message, “Indra? Cage Wallace is in my homentrhint to kidnap me.” Indra is up in a flash and recording the phone call. She can't speak because she can hear a loud crash and a voice, “Stupid! You're coming with me.” There is a pause and Indra hears a grunt and Cage yelp. “You stupid bitch!” The line goes dead after that. Indra dials Abby’s number and prays Clarke is okay. 

 

~~~~~

 

Clarke is hiding behind the couch in the living room. She is so close to the door and Cage is still trying to find her. She quietly gets up and opens the door. Then she feels a stinging in her eye as she falls back.

 

“Clarke Griffin. Pleasure to meet you. I'm Emerson.” Clarke feels her eye begin to swell up and Emerson wraps his fist into Clarke's hair. He pulls to pick her up and Clarke yells. He throws Clarke against the couch, “Cage! What the fuck is taking so long?” Cage comes to the living room, “She's not easy to catch boss.”

 

“And yet, I've caught her just fine.” Clarke scoffs, “You caught me? You were standing at my front door and punched me in the face.” Emerson laughs, “Feisty.  I like it.” Clarke sees her chance and notices the opening to her front door. She gets up in a flash and runs out. Emerson pulls her hair to stop her and Clarke elbows him in the nose. He growls with anger and lunges after Clarke. He slams her to the floor and places a gun against her head, “Keep trying to run and I'll take care of Lexa. I know where she is and who she is with. Two against seven of my guys won't end well. Enough.”

 

Clarke feels herself freeze. Lexa was in danger. She wasn't going to let anything happen to her. Emerson smirks, “Good girl.” He pulls out zip ties from his pocket and wraps them around Clarke's hands, “Cage, put the sack over her head and get her in the car.” Cage walks over to the blonde and punches her in the face. Clarke cries out in pain, “That's for earlier.” Clarke glares at the man and spits the blood coming from her lips at him. He growls but Emerson stops him before anything else can be done, “Enough! Get her in the car.”

 

Clarke sees the brown sack placed over her face and is being lifted up. She can only hope that Lexa is safe. Clarke feels a fear settle low in her stomach. This wasn't going to end well.

 

~~~~~

 

Jake notices the front door wide open and runs inside, “Clarke!!” He searches all through the house and notices the damage done. Clarke fought. He knew Clarke wouldn't give in. But where was she? They had gotten the call from Indra and sped home as quick as they could but it was too late. He is out of breath as he stands in the living room. Abby walks in and is in hysterics. Not her baby girl. This wasn't happening. Jake moved into the kitchen and notices the eggs cracked on the floor. He yells and throws a glass cup against the wall. Abby places a hand on his shoulder and he turns to her. She feels the tears well up even more in her eyes and she cries. Jake just holds her close and doesn't say anything. Indra walks into the house and has a team of cops behind her. 

 

Anya stands with the Griffin family and feels a tear shed. Lexa was going to lose it when she found out. This wasn't good.  They were just kids thinking they could take on the world. Shit hit the fan and they were about to get worse before they got better. 

 

~~~~

Murphy saw red. This wasn't happening. He read the group text from Anya and the anger that courses through him causes him to punch a hole through the wall. When he removes his hand, he notices the blood and dust from the wall. He gathers his things and heads over to Cage’s hideout.

 

“What the fuck did you do!” 

 

“Excuse me?” Cage is eating a sandwich and has ice on his crotch. “The Griffins you prick! Clarke is missing. What did you fucking do!” Cage glares, “Who are you to question me? You're nobody. What, close to the Griffin girl?”

 

Murphy punches Cage in the nose and his head goes back, “I came back because I needed the extra money you could provide me. Not this. The guys and I didn't sign up to be an accessory to kidnapping!”

 

Cage holds his nose, “What did you expect me to do, Murphy?!”

 

“Stand up and fight! You have the numbers and they hate being apart of Emerson. Fight back and take over. Stop being a fucking lap dog for him!” 

 

“You want him to kill us all? He's deranged! A psychopath!!” “Cage, so are you! Fight back! Let Clarke go. She's done nothing to anyone!” Cage was at war with himself Murphy was right but Emerson wasn't one to be messed with. Murphy starts to leave, “Whatever, Cage. I don't know why he's got you by the balls. But maybe you should grow some more and take yours back. You don't owe him shit. But continue being this way. I give you one warning.”

 

Cage can hear the anger and threat laced in how quiet Murphy's voice gets, “If anything happens to Clarke, anything at all, it all comes down on you. I don't care what the police or Emerson's men do, it's me you have to worry about.” He walks out the door and Cage has never been so terrified in his life.

 

~~~~~

 

Lexa and Gustus head back to the house after training. Lexa's muscles were sore but it was good. She learned new moves and was becoming better prepared for the next set of fights with Cage. Once inside, Lexa can feel the atmosphere. It's charged and laced with sadness. She walks into the kitchen and sees everyone gathered around Jake and Abby. Abby has red rimmed eyes when she sees Lexa and she gets up to hug the brunette, “T.

They took her, Lexa. They took Clarke.”

 

Lexa's brain goes numb and she feels her body give out. Abby feels it and catches her, “Lexa?!” Lexa doesn't see anything. Her world goes dark and she feels her heart begin to speed up. Is this what a heart attack was? She clutches her chest and is being lead to a seat she doesn't see. She can vaguely hear Abby tell everyone she's having a panic attack. Anya has seen them before so she steps forward and takes Lexa's hands in her, “Lexa? Lexa look at me.” She does as she's told but doesn't see anything. She can hear Anya speaking softly, “Count my fingers, Lexa. How many do I have?” Lexa chokes out an answer, “Ten.” “Are you sure? Come on let's count them.” Lexa begins to count Anya's fingers. She feels each one as Anya matches pace with Lexa's breathing and slowly bringing it back to regular intervals. By the time she gets to ten, Lexa is breathing normally.

 

She looks at Anya and cries. No one has seen Lexa cry. She's never been one to give anyone any idea that she cries. But in this moment, she doesn't care. Clarke is gone. Taken by a ruthless man who wanted Lexa to suffer. After crying for what feels like an eternity, Lexa's phone rings. She answers it.

 

“Hello?”

 

“Lexa my dear. So glad I got a hold of you.”

 

Lexa makes a fist and tightens so hard her knuckles turn white, “Where is she.”

 

“Oh relax. Say hi, Clarke.”

 

“Lexa! Lexa don't listen to him! It's a…” Everyone jumps when they hear a slap, “That's enough out of you. Lexa, considering it's still day time, I'm going to have a little fun with Ms. Griffin here. If you want her back, then tonight, I'll text you the address and we can meet. Discuss a few things. As for the whole motley crew, they stay behind. Just you, Lexa. No one else needs to get hurt, right?”

 

The line goes dead and the group all stare at each other. Lexa throws the phone down, “I'm going to meet him.”

 

“Lexa, you heard my daughter. She sounded like she was trying to warn you it was a trap.”

 

“Jake, I know what it is. But I'm not letting anyone else get hurt because of me.” 

 

No one can stop Lexa as she walks out the door. This was it. The final battle. It was time to finish this. God, what had her life come to? It was like a bad movie. She was too young for this. Shaking her head she runs. She runs fast and hard planning for tonight. It didn't matter if she didn't make it out. As long as Clarke was safe. That's all she cared about.


	17. Where have you been hiding, Dante Wallace?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **TRIGGER WARNING** Guys, it's getting intense. I have more fighting. And use with a gun. If you need to, you can skip this chapter. I will recap in the next and you can be caught up. 
> 
> I bring you another chapter! You guys, I beg of you please stay with the story!! I won't let you down and fuck things up. There are going to be a few sad moments. But I promise you, stick with me. We'll make it together. With that said, thank you for all your comments. They make my day and I love hearing from you. But please do not be too harsh and riot against me! Without further ado, enjoy!

Lexa couldn't breathe. She had run as hard and fast as she could. Her brain was moving a million miles a minute and she couldn't stop it. Emerson had Clarke. That was the biggest factor but it also meant a trap for Lexa. And one she knew that she wouldn't walk away from. But if Clarke lived? Then that's all that mattered. Before she knows it, Lexa is standing in front of the senior citizen center. Jackson just smiles and buzzes her in and Lexa doesn't stop. She keeps walking past every room until she finds Dante.

“Lexa? What are you doing here?”

She tries to catch her breath and Dante can see the panicked look in her eyes, “They...they took her, Dante. Your s..son and Emerson. I'm s..so sorry.” Lexa doubles over and cries again. Dante stands and places a hand on her shoulder, “We have to get our girl back.” He starts to grab his shoes and Lexa wipes her eyes, “Dante, no. It's too dangerous for you. I can't drag another person I love into this!” “Lexa, I'm older than you and have quite more experience. I think I've come to learn who you are over these past months we've been together. You've got a plan formulated. I can help. Let's go.”

Shaking her head she wipes her eyes, “Dante, they want me to show up tonight.” “Oh, a trap I see. Well, they won't say much to a little old man walking in asking to see his son.” There is gleam in Dante’s eye and a smile Lexa has never seen before. “Come on, let's take the van again. I'll explain on the way.”

~~~~

Emerson was sitting in his chair with a smug expression on his face. He had won this fight. Lexa would show up to try and save Clarke. There was no way out of this. 

“You look so smug but you'll lose.” He sighs and gets up from his chair. He walks over to where Clarke is tied up, “Such big words for a girl who is about to watch her lover die.”

“What did Lexa ever do to you?” Emerson laughs, “Nothing. That's the glory of it. I put two and two together and know Roan really stole the money that night. But his mother is really great at taking care of things so I'm letting them sit. Scaring them real well. After this, no one will cross me and I've got my plans into place. Nia thinks she's getting the upper hand in all this but she's just a pawn in my little game.” He pats Clarke's cheek and she scowls, “Lexa's not that dumb to come here. She knows it's a trap.” 

Emerson loses his cool and grips her by the face hard enough to leave bruises, “You think I don't know that? Trust me, this girl knows exactly what she's going to walk in to. And it's all to save you, Clarke. My biggest asset in this game.” 

~~~~  
Anya tried Lexa's cell so many times she lost count. Where had her sister gone? This wasn't good. She stands outside while everyone is trying to hold it together inside. Raven steps out just as Anya drives her fist into the porch post. Raven walks over to her quickly, “What the hell?!”

“Raven, you weren't… supposed to see that.”

“But I did. You really think punching shit is the best way to solve the problem?” She takes a closer look at Anya's hand and sighs, “You're gonna have one hell of a bruise.” Anya pulls her hand away, “That girl thinks she needs to do everything on her own. She's...infuriating!”

Raven chuckles, “Big words cheekbones. But I understand your sister. I would do anything to keep what I have. That's what she's trying to do.”

Monty and Jasper show up to the house and hug the two girls. Monty speaks, “I got filled in on what happened. And I think I might have something that can help Indra and you. Maybe we can find information to stick on Emerson?”

Raven’s eyes gleam as she reads the paper Monty handed her, “You genius! JAKE! WE HAVE WORK TO DO!!” Raven runs back inside and shows them all the paper. Indra takes a closer look, “Monty, you got this man to sign?” Monty smiles, “I did. I wanted the right leverage.” Raven and Jake get to work on the list of names given to Monty. It seemed as though their plan was coming together. 

~~~~~~

Dante walks to the building and lets himself in. The doors weren't locked. He chuckles to himself and notices two guys standing by the back door. They come out and two men walk down the stairs. That made four. As he walks further, he notices a few upstairs. A big man steps forward, “Excuse me, who are you?” Dante clears his throat, “Dante Wallace. I'm looking for my son, Cage?” Cage noticed his father in the window and walks down stairs to them, “Dad?”

Dante smiles, “Son! How good to see you.” 

“Dad, what are you doing here?” 

Lexa comes in with a gun standing behind Dante, “He's here because of me. Where's Clarke?”

Dante sighs, “I told you son. This wouldn't end well for you.”

Cage feels his stomach drop, he didn't get along with his father but he didn't want him to die either, “Lexa, look, your fight is with Emerson. Please let him go.”

“Now you care about him? You let him rot in that home. And for what? I don't care anymore, where is Clarke!” 

Cage notices the two guys from the back door step forward and Lexa smirks. As they get closer, Lexa lets Dante go and turns to face the men, “You think I don't know you're there? Step closer and I pull the trigger.”

“Lexa, come on. You don't want to do this. You're not a killer.”

“It's amazing what you do when the love of your life is being held hostage.”

One man steps closer and Dante sighs. He's had enough so he uses his cane and trips the man coming closer. Lexa turns the gun around and uses the butt to smack both men and they fall back. One gets angry and charges towards her. He lifts her up and slams her into the ground. Lexa has to try and not let the air that's knocked out of her make her pass out. Everything becomes slow motion as she watches his fist come down. She moves her head out of the way and he slams it into the floor. He pulls his hand back and Lexa takes the split second advantage to kick him in the crotch. He yelps and falls back and Lexa knees him in the face. She sees the second man look over to her and the guy on the floor and thinks better of it. He runs out. Lexa turns her head and notices Dante.

Dante has two men going after him and he smiles. He lifts his cane and smacks one man in the head and uses the curve of the cane to wrap around the second guys neck. He swings even knowing Dante has him stuck. Dante blocks the punch and hits the goon in the nose. The second guy comes closer and wraps his arms around Dante. Dante feels himself being pulled backwards and he relaxes. Letting his weight fall, the man loses his grip and Dante falls on top of the man. He then punches the man in the face with his cane and the man is knocked out. 

Lexa's mouth is wide open, “Lexa, dear. You'll catch flies. Close your mouth.” 

“Holy shit, Dante. What the hell was that!?” 

He laughs, “A veteran never forgets his training, Lexa.” 

Lexa laughs too only to see Cage holding the gun Lexa had moments ago, “I don't want to do this. Just turn around and go, Dad.” 

~~~~~

Someone bangs on Emerson's door, “What?!”

“Boss, there's some crazy chick with a gun and Emerson's father.” Clarke gasps. She knows it's Lexa but why? No. Lexa wouldn't threaten Dante that way. 

Emerson grabs Clarke by her hair and pulls her hands free. He jerks her forward and she feels the pain in her wrists from the ties. He takes her to the staircase to see what was going on. It was hectic. Lexa had really become an excellent fighter in a short amount of time. But what surprised him and Clarke was Dante. The way he fought. Clarke's mouth dropped open. 

They see Cage grab the gun and Clarke feels her stomach drop. Emerson uses the small moment and pulls out a gun of his own and holds it to Clarke's head and pushes her forward. Lexa and Dante are too busy focusing on Cage to even notice Emerson. But like magnets, green always finds blue and Lexa feels her heart drop, “Clarke!” 

Emerson laughs when all the attention turns towards him, “Look at this shit! Cage, your father turns on you and helps Lexa to save Clarke! Isn't that just the perfect fucking love story? Too bad this one doesn't have a happy ending.” He fires the gun and Clarke watches it all in slow motion. Lexa yelling as Dante falls to the ground holding his chest. The blonde doesn't realize she is screaming at the top of her lungs until Emerson slaps her and pushes her down the hall. He had to get out before Lexa came after him.

“Take care of her, Cage. And don't fuck it up!!” 

~~~~~

Lexa runs to Dante when the bullet hits him, “NO!!” He falls to the floor holding his chest and Lexa is putting pressure trying to stop the bleeding. She can hear Clarke screaming and the slap from Emerson. She hears his order to Cage. 

There are tears in his eyes. How could this happen? His father was innocent. He keeps his gun raised and watches as Emerson walks away. 

With the gun pointed at Lexa, she looks at him, “The man you trusted has just shot your father! He's betrayed you.” In the distance, they all can hear sirens, “He's set you up to take the fall, Cage. What are you doing to do?” 

And in that moment, time slowed. Lexa's life was on the line and so was Dante’s. Her life was in the hands of Cage. But would he let them go? Or was he too far gone to be saved?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you feel your heart break a little? Mine did writing this. Please don't hate me? I'll update soon and it will be better I promise. Please stick with me guys!


	18. The fate of Lexa Woods and Dante Wallace

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **TRIGGER WARNING** More fighting and use of a gun my dear readers. The last chapter, Dante was shot and Lexa had a gun pointed at her. In this chapter there is a lot of hitting and punching. Just so you all know. Please protect yourselves okay? 
> 
>  
> 
> GUYS AS PROMISED!!! Here is the next chapter! Oh my god, hold on to your seats!! I'm having such an amazing time writing this story! Please don't be too harsh on me okay? Like I said, stay with me!! Without further ado, enjoy!

Jake and Raven were typing furiously. Every single name leading to more names and lists. There were judges, cops, firefighters, all of them leading back to Emerson controlling them. He was the puppet master and pulled the strings on a lot of people in the city. Anya is watching her girlfriend and Jake. But she reads a familiar name.

 

“Raven, stop for a second?” Raven stops typing and looks to Anya. She points to a file, “Open that one. Please?” Raven raises an eyebrow but does as she is asked. The file read, “Costia Greene”. When she opens it, there is an official report about what happened to Costia. She got with the wrong crowd. Emerson was the step parent who took her in and he was being questioned about abuse. It also turned out that Emerson paid off a judge to get off. Anya wipes a tear, “Indra, I think this is plenty to hang Emerson by his balls.” Indra comes forward and reads the report. She gasps as she reads the full report. She wouldn't go in to details. No one needed to know the horror. 

 

Jake is still typing when Murphy notices a file, “Jake, what's that file?” Jake opens it and documents of illegal drug smuggling and weapons dealing pops up. There were over a hundred names. And over 307 billion dollars being filtered through, “Holy shit, Murph. We hit the jackpot. The name on every document is Cage Wallace and Carl Emerson.”

 

Indra prints out all the paperwork to gather it together. She makes a phone call to the police and lets them know what is going on. The only problem was location. They didn't have a clue where Lexa and Clarke could be. Until Octavia yells out, “THE WAREHOUSE!! The building we fought in, it had a room upstairs. An office. It’s an out of the way place no one suspect's to look. That's where they have to be!” Indra and the gang don't miss a beat. They all climb into cars and follow closely to the destination. The cops hot on their heels. They only hoped they made it to the girls in time.

 

~~~~

 

Dante feels the bullet as it goes through his chest. He doesn't say a word as he falls to the ground. Not even a whimper comes from his mouth as he feels the blood start to seep through. He can hear Clarke screaming and Lexa yell but his eyes never leave his son. The tears that are there. Cage looks so conflicted and Dante could read every emotion on his son’s face. He coughs and feels Lexa tighten her grip to keep the blood from pouring out. He hasn't said a word until right now.

 

“Cage Wallace.” Cage stares at his father, “Son, please, I know w..we've had a rough patch. I've never been too close to you since your mother passed. And I don't know why. I tried as hard as I could, Cage. But right now, listen to Lexa. Those sirens are coming for you. Please put the gun down and help us. These girls have done nothing to warrant Emerson's rage.” 

 

Cage yells and throws the gun off to the side just as the police swarm in and slam him to the floor. Indra and the gang run in right after. Abby and Jake look for Clarke but only see Lexa holding Dante. The paramedics rush in and put him on a stretcher. Lexa has blood on her hands and turns to see Cage being taken away, “Wait!” The police stop and Cage is glaring so hard. Lexa shoves him back, “Where did he take Clarke?” 

 

Cage smirks, “Still so determined to save that blonde bitch?” Jake hears the comment and walks over and punches Cage so hard in the nose he breaks it. Before Jake can do anything else, the delinquents pulls him back, “Don't EVER talk about my daughter like that you dick.” Lexa glares at Cage, “Where the FUCK IS SHE!??” Cage watches the anger and the storm brewing in Lexa's eyes, “Downtown. Portside boat house. His boat is docked there. You better be prepared for a showdown.” Lexa looks around and knows no one heard Cage. The cops take him away and she listens to the group, “We need to find Clarke.” 

 

“Yes we do.

 

“How is Lexa? She was holding a bleeding Dante. She saw him get shot.”

 

“And so did Clarke. Something tells me Emerson shot Dante. Come on, we can look at more files upstairs and make sure he gets put away for a long time.”

 

Lexa doesn't know which comment belongs to which voice. She's not paying attention. She knows where the boat house is. She's been there hundreds of times. She watches as the group are too focused on each other to notice she is slipping out. She wasn't going to get anyone else in danger. 

 

As she walks out to the van she came in with Dante, she doesn't realize that one person stayed behind. He watches the brunette hop in and carefully drive out of the scene. He starts his car and follows.

 

“Bellamy forgive me for leaving. But where are you going, Lexa?” 

 

~~~~~~

 

Of course Emerson had a getaway car. Clarke could see he was spiraling. The sirens are what really drove him to snap. He pushes Clarke into the car hard and went around to the drivers side. He sped off onto a side street, “We need to get out of here.”

 

Clarke knows she shouldn't but she badgers him, “You're never going to get away with this, Emerson. The cops are going to find you and you're going to prison for a long time.” She feels satisfaction seep in until she feels a punch to her cheek, “Shut up. You don't know shit. Aren't you forgetting I still have you as a hostage? You're my leverage, Clarke. And if I have to kill you to escape, then so be it.”

 

Clarke feels fear settle into her stomach. Not only was Dante shot, but Cage was holding a gun to the woman she loved. But she couldn't let it show. She had to get out of here. If only she could break the zip ties around her wrists. Taking a deep breath, the blonde looks around and notices nail clippers in the cup holder. It wasn't much but she could try to cut them. She reaches into the cup holder and manages to take them out without Emerson noticing. They drive for another 20 minutes and Clarke can smell the water. They are at the Portside boat house. There were boats docked on every side and Clarke had to fight herself not to scream. She wasn't about to be murdered here. No. Emerson needed her. And he would keep her alive until he no longer saw her as essential.

 

He parks the car and walks over to pull Clarke out. The blonde could no longer feel hee scalp with how hard Emerson pulled her hair. He grips her arm hard and leads her to a covered dock. He opens the door and shoves Clarke inside, “I don't know how the cops found that place. But no one even knows about this one. Stay here while I prepare the boat.” 

 

When he steps away, Clarke tries her best to use the nail clippers. She's almost got it when a knee finds purchase on her nose and she flies back, “YOU LITTLE SHIT!!” Clarke feels the blood begin to drip from her nose. “I'm trying to keep calm here. But you make it so fucking hard!” He takes the nail clippers and tosses them. He then goes back to his boat and continues to ready everything.

 

~~~~~

 

Lexa sees the docks and quietly parks the car. She walks out and notices one car. She hopes it can only mean it's Emerson's. She sees all the boats docked and wonders which one could be his. She makes her way slowly to the boats and looks at almost every row. Clarke was nowhere to be seen. Neither was Emerson. But before Lexa could give up, she hears Emerson yelling, “YOU LITTLE SHIT!!” She pinpoints it. Of course he would have an inside dock. She makes her way over and peers carefully through a crack in the door. She can see Clarke. Her anger only grows when she sees Clarke's nose bleeding profusely. That dick!! She sneaks her way around and notices a window. As she looks inside, she can see Emerson working on the boat. He is checking for supplies and other issues. This was Lexa's moment. She had to find a way inside without getting caught.

 

There's a tap on her shoulder and she quickly pulls the person to the ground. Before she can punch, “Murphy! What are you doing here?”

 

He sighs and pushes her off him, “I followed your crazy ass here. Why would you come after this guy alone?” 

 

“Because I can't have any more of you get hurt.”

 

He smacks Lexa on the back of her head, “You're such a dense shit. How many times have I told you? You're family. Now, how are we gonna get our girl back?”

 

Lexa smiles at the comment, “Wait here. I'm heading inside to help Clarke.”

 

“Lexa.”

 

She holds a hand up to silence him, “Once I have her out, I'm going to confront Emerson. You are my back up he doesn't know about. If I'm in a predicament, come in and help me.”

 

Murphy nods, “In that case, I'll stand here and watch for Emerson. I'll tell you when to enter.” Lexa goes to the front door. She had to admit she was happy to have someone here. She looks through the crack of the door and notices Clarke still trying to get her hands free. Murphy taps the wall twice letting Lexa know it was safe to move. She quietly enters the dock and slowly makes her way over to Clarke. The blonde notices her right away. Her eyes wide with fear and relief, “Lexa, what are you doing here?!” Lexa holds a finger to her mouth letting Clarke know to hush. She pulls a knife out of her pocket and gently cuts Clarke's zip ties, “I'm saving the princess. What does it look like.” 

 

Clarke stares at Lexa, “Dante?” Lexa nods, “He seemed to be okay. I left to find you before really knowing. Cage put the gun down.” Clarke sighs with relief and hugs Lexa, “I'm so sorry for this.”

 

“Clarke, don't. This is not your fault. Go outside to the van. Call my mom and your mom and the police. I'm gonna have a word or two with Emerson.”

 

“Then why don't we talk about it now?” There's a gun being held to Lexa's head and she holds her hands up, “I can never trust Cage to complete a fucking simple job.” 

 

Lexa turns to face Emerson, “Well, when someone feels pinned in a corner, they tend to change their minds.” He uses the butt of the fun to hit Lexa and she spits out blood, “What's the matter, Emerson? Scared now?”

 

“Please, you two are nothing. A simple bullet keeps you both from moving.” He aims the gun at Clarke and Lexa stands in front of it, “She's done nothing. Focus on me. Take me instead.” She can see Emerson contemplating it, “What good does that do me? Her parents are filthy rich. And your mom is an expert lawyer. She'd find us in no time. No, I think I'll take my chances.” He pushes Lexa and fires the gun at Clarke. He misses his shot because Lexa had dived and knocked into him.

 

~~~~~

 

Murphy heard the gunshot and ran to the backside. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw no one had been hurt. He crouches low and makes his way to Emerson's boat. He climbs on and manages to mess with the steering. There's no way Emerson was getting away. After he messes everything up he climbs off. He looks at the three people and notices Emerson is pointing the gun at Lexa again. Clarke is on the floor holding her nose. He takes in his surroundings and notices a stack of crates near Emerson. He slides past everyone and climbs up. From where he's at, he can see the cars of his family. He was glad he sent a text and told them to be quiet. He looks down and can hear Emerson, “You two have made this so difficult. In a day, you've managed to ruin my entire plans. How is that possible? I don't get it! You're teens. Fucking children!!” Murphy jumps down on top of Emerson and pins him to the floor.

 

“They have family you prick.” He punches Emerson twice in the face and kicks the gun off to the side. “Murphy!!” He hugs Clarke tightly, “It's good to see you princess. I'm glad you're safe. We worked hard to find you. Not to mention, we've got enough to pin on Cage and Emerson.” Lexa smiles and looks at Clarke. Clarke has tears in her eyes, “Lexa.” They go to each other and hug tightly. Lexa never letting go, “I'm so sorry, Clarke.” Clarke pulls away and kisses Lexa. It told Lexa everything she needed to hear. What they don't realize however is the sound of a gun being cocked. The gunshot scares them both. 

 

Lexa and Clarke stare at each other and look at each other closely. Clearly someone got shot but who? That's when they see Murphy standing between them. His arm starts to bleed and he falls to the floor. Clarke screams, “Murphy!!” She sees Emerson with a sick sadistic smile on his face, “That'll do I guess.” Clarke sees red. She goes after him and with all her might, she swings at his face. Emerson is shocked as he goes down. Clarke is on top of him and swinging. She doesn't stop. The sounds being blocked out by the ringing in her ears. She doesn't stop even when he passes out.

 

“Clarke, CLARKE!!” Jake is pulling his daughter back, “Clarke, enough!” “HE SHOT MURPHY, AND DANTE!!” She's fighting her father when she feels a hand on her back. She would recognise the touch anywhere, “Princess, hey.” She stops fighting and Jake looks to Lexa. 

 

Lexa speaks low, “Murphy is okay. It was just through his arm. He is awake. Come with me?” Clarke calms down and nods as she follows Lexa. Indra comes in and stands over Emerson.

 

“Carl Emerson, you are under arrest. Anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law. If you do not have an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand your rights?”

 

Emerson comes too and agrees. There's still A smirk on his face. He knows he'll get off the hook in no time. As he is being helped up and being taken to a cop car, he sees Lexa holding Clarke close as paramedics take a good look at her. 

 

Clarke and Lexa notice Emerson. Clarke shakes her head, “Take me to the hospital? I want to see Dante.” Lexa nods her head and after the paramedics finish, they go to Jake and Abby. They drive to the hospital. Everyone is worried about Clarke but Clarke just stares out the window. This was just the beginning of a long trial. Clarke could only hope everything worked out in the end. This whole ordeal was too much. What teenager should ever have to go through this? With exhaustion settling in, Clarke leans against Lexa and falls asleep. 

 

Lexa gently pushes Clarke's hair back. She takes a closer look and notices the blonde's nose is broken. She has a black eye, a split lip. There are bruises covering her arms where Emerson gripped too hard. And her wrists are bleeding from from the zip ties. Lexa felt horrible. This angel of hers was so hurt and it was all her fault. She looks away from Clarke and tries her best to hide her tears. But Jake and Abby see them. 

 

When they get to the hospital, Abby helps Clarke into the emergency room. And Jake stays behind with Lexa. “Lex?” Lexa looks over to him, “Yes?” He sighs as he sends a text, “Everyone will be here soon. It looks like Murphy is on his way here as well.” Lexa nods and starts to get out of the car when Jake stops her again, “Lexa, this is not your fault.” “Jake.” “No Lexa, I mean it. That man, that monster, should have never done any of this. I'm so sorry you guys got so involved. But right now, I need you to know we don't blame you for anything. And you are loved and welcomed in my home. You're family Lexa. And you've stolen my daughter's heart.” Lexa wipes her tears, “Thank you Jake.” He smiles and steps out of the car. He and Lexa make their way inside. 

 

Who knew what the future held. Lexa could only hope this was done and over with. She wanted her life back. A life with her sister and the Forrester family. A life with the delinquents. A life with Clarke. With wedding bands and two kids running around. Family dinners, everything Lexa never got until now. This was it. This was her second chance. And she wasn't about to fuck it up. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We all feeling ok? Told you, stick with me my dear readers!!


	19. How about a little deal?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **TRIGGER WARNING** Me dear readers, I have some vulgar words towards a woman in here but that's it. There might be some suggestive things as well. Protect your selves my dear readers.
> 
> GUYS!!! This story is coming to a close. I have one more chapter. It's been an incredible journey and one that has taken me so far. I didn't expect any of this. The comments, the kudos, the bookmarks. I really love that you all loved this story so much. It's near and dear to my heart. To Lisam0930, as promised, no heart failures or hauntings!! 
> 
> For those of you that know about it, I added a few characters for some laughs. Let me know if you catch it. Please don't hate me or judge me too hardly on this chapter! I had a bout of writers block and worked through it. Without further ado, enjoy!

Dante feels a sharp pain in his arm that leads to the bullet wound in his chest. He opens his eyes and hears the familiar sound of hospital equipment beeping at him. There's a heart monitor keeping track of his rhythm and he can hear it pick up just a bit as he moves. What he doesn't expect to feel is someone holding on to his hand. He looks down and notices the blonde head of hair laying down on the bed. Her body is in an unnatural position. Half of her is sitting on a chair while the other half is laying on the hospital bed. Clarke has a vice grip on his hand and he laughs quietly. 

 

“You're awake.”

 

He smiles and looks over to Lexa who is standing on the opposite side of the bed, “It seems to be that way, yes. Mind telling me what's going on?” He points to Clarke and notices the bandage on her wrist. Lexa sighs, “I went after Emerson. I was able to find where he took Clarke. The police are there now gaining evidence for the FBI. It seems it was so much bigger than Indra bad been told.”

 

Dante nods once, “How much bigger?”

 

“Apparently, Emerson is wanted in three other states and not to mention out of the country. I don't know what that man was into but what was going on here was just the tip of the iceberg. I'm just hoping it doesn't rain shit down on the rest of us.”

 

Dante shakes his head, “If he's working for some higher up, it's him that will have to deal with the consequences. But I have one question.”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“How did you not get a scratch on you?” 

 

Lexa laughs a little, “Lucky I guess. Murphy showed up. He saved our asses in there. But I would gladly change places with Clarke. She didn't have to go through this.” She begins to tear up, “The doctor bandaged her wrists because they were rubbed so raw. Emerson broke her nose. She has a black eye and a concussion. God!” 

 

Dante gently reaches for Lexa's hand, “Hey.” Lexa takes it and he squeezes, “Don't do that to yourself. Don't beat yourself up over what's happened here.”

 

“Dante, this is all my fault. These people… they're all hurt because of me. Murphy is in the next room with a gunshot for protecting Clarke and me. I'm a fuck up. These people were so much better off without me. My sister is better off without me.”

 

Dante gets serious, “Alexandria Woods, you hush up.” Lexa's eyes widen, “I'm sure you've been told time and time again that this is your family. And it's always back to the same thing with you. Whatever your damage was, who ever hurt you in the past, they're gone. They no longer exist to hurt you. All that's left are the demons that you keep letting out. This girl loves you with her entire heart. She's glad that you weren't the one taken or worse, shot and killed! It would devastate her. Break her to the point of no return. She is fine, that boy Murphy is fine. Your sister needs you, Lexa. So stop it. Realize what you've won and not what you've lost. These people are your family now. They love you and you love them. So let them in. Don't hold those demons anymore. Let this girl here love you!”

 

Lexa is crying now and wipes her tears. Clarke picks her head up, “He's not wrong you know.” 

 

“How long have you been awake?”

 

“Long enough, Lex. This… this is traumatizing. Not gonna lie. But my mom has set up therapy appointments for the both of us and Murphy. So we can go and talk about this. I don't want to harbor this anger and fear that has grown inside me. And Dante is right. Those demons are the past. You are so much better than that now. You made a mistake, we're human. It's going to happen a lot.” She gets up and goes over to Lexa and takes her hands, “But I'm here with you now. You're not alone. And Lexa Woods, I love you. Body and soul, heart and mind, it's yours. And it always will be. I can see us married with three kids running around, having family dinners. So stay with me, please? And don't leave because you think it's better. It's not. You don't have to be afraid anymore.”

 

Lexa feels herself crumple into Clarke's arms and cries. Clarke holds her tightly and doesn't let her go. Lexa looks up and kisses Clarke, “I was worried sick about you. I had to reach you. I love you too, Clarke Griffin. I was born the day you loved me and I'll be better than I was before. You are my future. The one I want to be with for the rest of my life.” They kiss again and Dante smiles, “Now that that's settled, how about a burger for the old man?” 

 

With a laugh, Clarke and Lexa manage to give Dante exactly what he wants.

 

~~~~

 

“So, Ex Military man gone rouge. You found money in illegal dealings. Not to mention an abusive streak too. We were given reports on your case with a Ms. Costia Greene. Care to give any detail on that?” 

 

Emerson doesn't say a word. He focuses on the handcuffs he's in. The man questioning him looks at him, “I guess not.” There's a knock on the window and the man steps out of the room. He faces Indra, “Yes ma'am?”

 

“Mind if I question him?”

 

The man sighs, “I don't think that's too good of an idea. He took your daughter, you're too close.”

 

Indra glares daggers into the man, “I understand the severity, Nyko. But I'm also the one who can get a rise out if him.”

 

Nyko hands her the file and she takes it as she walks into the interrogation room. She notices the small hint of a smile ghost around Emerson's lips, “To what do I owe this pleasure?” 

 

Indra keeps turning the pages in the file and sits down, seeming to be disinterested. Emerson doesn't take too kindly to that, “I'm speaking you bitch!”

 

Indra looks up from the paperwork, “Oh, yeah I gathered that thought. But you weren't saying anything worth my time so I chose to ignore you. Like a lot of women do.”

 

Emerson bangs his hands down on the table but it doesn't scare Indra, “You bitches are all the same. A quick fuck is all I think you're worth.” 

 

“I can also see that in the file here. But you managed to get off every single charge put against you.”

 

Emerson relaxes again, “I've been innocent in every case. Those women wanted me to hit them. Said it made them feel… good.” 

 

Indra shakes her head, “I bet. But how about I send you away and let a real man handle and make you feel good, Emerson?”

 

Emerson smirks, “My lawyer will be here in about ten minutes.” Indra laughs this time and pulls out four photos. She slams each one down on the table, “You mean, these guys?” Emerson notices the faces and gulps. Indra smiles knowing she's got him scared for the first time, “These four have been picked up. They're being questioned as we speak. Oh and they've got a lot of information on you. We also have every judge you've managed to buy off in three other rooms out there. And boy was it easy to turn a deal. They gave you up for a few years in prison. Even trade considering the monster you are. Oh and your main man, Cage?” 

 

Emerson feels his eyebrow twitch, “Cage sang like a canary. Told us everything about your dealings with foreign affairs. Face it, Emerson. You've got nothing. Either you give up the names of who you've been working for, or I let you rot in a cell out of the country.” She slams the file closed and begins to walk out of the room.

 

“Wait! If I give you the names, they'll kill me.” 

 

Indra faces him, “Not that you don't deserve it. But these men are some of the best trained men out there. Give us the names and I promise you, you'll be safe. And in a U.S. prison.” Emerson reaches for the pen and begins to write down the names of all his contacts and operations and the boss he was working for. 

 

“Good. Now we wait until the trial. Sit tight.” She smiles and walks out of the room. Nyko staring at her with his mouth wide open, “Close your mouth, baby. You'll catch flies.” She walks away and decides to head over to the hospital.

 

~~~~~

 

Cage is scared. This was the end of the line. He had nowhere to go. The agent standing in front of him began to speak, “Cage Wallace, you've been working for Carl Emerson for how long now?” He drinks some water and answers the question, “Since my mom passed away. I've been with him for twelve years now.” 

 

“And in that time, he's managed to get off every single charge held against him. Why is that?”

 

“What can I say? Money talks and he has a lot of it.”

 

“Well, I can assure you no one is going to get him or you off this time. We've rounded them all up. Questioning them for as much information.”

 

Cage feels the sweat begin to form on his neck, “What do you want from me?”

 

“Oh, Cage. We want information on Emerson. What he does for a living. Everything. You're looking at a life sentence here. But give us the right information and I'm pretty sure we can cut you a deal. Ten years max.” 

 

Emerson could go fuck himself. Ten years was better than dying in prison. His father was right, don't mess with those girls. Cage reached for a pen and explained everything. The money coming in and out, the foreign deals they made, the higher ups he was working for. He had to pay for his actions and this was the only way he was going to do it. When he finished writing everything down, he asked the agent one last question, “How's my dad?”

 

The agent smiles, “Your father is fine. He'll live.” Cage nodded, his father was all he cared about. He hoped Clarke would take good care of him. He asked for some paper and began to write two letters. He just hoped they would understand.

 

~~~~

 

Clarke and Lexa were sitting side by side in Murphy's hospital room. Bellamy was waiting on him hand and foot, “Babe, don't get up too fast. What's wrong? Need me to call the doctor?” Murphy made all of them laugh by his yelling, “What I need is for you to stop babying me! I was shot in the arm, Bell. I'm fine. They want to keep me here for observation but I don't know why. I hate hospitals.” They laugh again when Bellamy looks hurt and Murphy kisses him, “I'm sorry.” 

 

It's a packed room, the delinquents taking up most of the space but allowing the adults in from time to time. Indra stopped by to pay her respects to everyone. And she carried two letters. She motioned to Clarke to step outside with her after she said hello to everyone. Clarke followed and Lexa wasn't too far behind. 

 

“I'm sorry to pull you away, Clarke.” 

 

“That's okay, Indra. What is it?”

 

She hands Clarke a letter, “Cage wrote this for you. He also wrote one to his father that I'm going to give to him now.”

 

Clarke took the letter and nodded her head. She opened it and discovered it was two pages long. Lexa wrapped her arms around Clarke's waist, “Are you going to read it?” Clarke nodded and opened it.

 

_ Clarke, by now I'm sure you've crumpled up this letter. After all, the words of a convicted felon, let alone a man who kidnapped you is not what you care to read. But if on the off chance you are reading this, I would like to thank you. Because of your actions, I am in here and away from Emerson. Maybe I'm attached to him in a sick way because he made me feel… powerful? My father was a good man. But I pulled away from him because I was scared of who I was. Scared he wouldn't accept me for the secret I was hiding from him. But I see now that I was wrong. He would have accepted me with open arms. But I was already too far gone in Emerson's plans. He made me fear him and it wasn't what I wanted but I did it anyway. I'm not asking for forgiveness. I don't want nor do I need it. I know I've put myself here. I've taken the chances and the risks. I should have listened to my father when he warned me not to mess with you girls. But I didn't listen and now I'm paying for it. What I'm asking is that you take care of my father. He loves you as his own daughter and I know you care for him too. So please take care of him in all the ways I couldn't. I failed as a son, but you… well you still have his love and that's enough for me. To know he's okay. And a second favor, tell Murphy I'm sorry. I was wrong in doing Emerson's bidding. And in some way, Murphy gave me the power to realize I was better than that. It was his voice in my head that made me turn all evidence over to the FBI. I'm jealous of that Bellamy boy for capturing Murphy's heart. It should have been me but I feared he wouldn't love me in the same way. As you can tell, I've spilled my secret. If I'm not killed first, maybe in ten years, we could start over. We could talk about my father possibly. You are an amazing woman, Clarke. And I'm sorry for what I've put you through. And Emerson. _

 

Lexa could feel Clarke crying,  “Baby?” She shakes her head, “I'm okay, Lex. I don't think we could ever start over. But Cage was just a lost kid.” Lexa kisses her forehead, “Come on beautiful. Let's go back inside and enjoy the rest of our break?”

 

Clarke nods and kisses Lexa softly. They go into the room and enjoy being teens again. Without a care in the world.

 

~~~~~

 

Indra knocks lightly on the door, “Mr. Wallace? May I come in?” Dante smiles, “Indra! Of course, and please call me Dante!” Indra smiles, “I stopped by to see how you were and to give you this. It's from your son.”

 

Dante takes the letter and answers Indra, “I'm doing well, thank you. And thank you for bringing this.” Indra smiles, “You're welcome.” She steps out and Dante opens the letter.

 

_ Dad, I'm sorry. I sit here in this interrogation room and realize that the life I once had was such a good one. After mom died, a part of me died with her. She understood me when I feared you wouldn't. And dad, she told me to go to you. She wanted us to be close when she passed. But I couldn't. I feared you and the rejection I knew I would receive. But then I saw you with Clarke and Lexa and I knew that I had been wrong. I feared you for nothing. And now I'm here. I followed Emerson because he gave me a sense of power I felt I didn't have. But I was wrong. I let this man tear me down in this sick sense that he understood me and loved me. But that was wrong. I'm sorry for everything, Dad. And I don't know if you can find it in your heart to forgive me. I've got ten years to of guilt to keep me company in here and it still wouldn't be enough. But I'm glad you have Clarke. She's a great girl, Dad and she looks up to you. She's going to take care of you in all the ways I failed to. I know I was a horrible son. I make no excuses for it. But I'm sorry. For everything, Dad. For hurting you, for leaving you in that center. For betraying mom's promise to me. I'm no better than Emerson. I know I don't deserve your forgiveness. I've done so much horrible in the world, it's hard to see any good that I once was. But maybe, just maybe you could find it in your heart to forgive me? I don't care how many years it takes, Dad. If I can become the son you know I can be, then I can die happy. The place I'm going...the information I gave… I may have a hit on my name. But I hope I get to see you soon, Dad. You taught me how to be a good man. I just hope I can be a good man all over again. Love always, Cage. _

 

Dante wipes the tears in his eyes. What was Cage going on about? He had already forgiven him for everything. He knew what kind of person Emerson was. He was just glad that Cage didn't pull the trigger to kill Lexa. He pulls a pen and paper out and writes a letter to his son. Letting him know that although he forgave him, things had changed. But he would always love Cage with his entire heart.

 

~~~~~

 

“Alright you delinquents!” Abby claps her hands, “Visiting hours are over. Everyone go home. Murphy will be out tomorrow. You can all come back then.” The delinquents all sigh but they say their goodbyes to Murphy. Murphy watches them all leave except Clarke and Lexa.

 

“To what do I owe the pleasure?”

 

They laugh and the girls hug Murphy, “Murphy, thanks for saving my ass. And for showing me I have a family.” 

 

He smiles, “You're welcome, Lexa. Clarke here has always taken the worst of the worst in. And look at how we turn out. I wasn't sure about this group. A lot of shady people ya know?”

 

Lexa laughs and Clarke punches his good arm, “Dick.”

 

Murphy laughs, “Get out of here you two. I'll see everyone in the morning.”

 

The girls smile and they leave the room for the night.

 

~~~~

 

The night finds the delinquents, minus Murphy and Bellamy, back at Lincoln's house and in the theater. They are watching a movie. Although no one seems to be paying attention. They are all looking off into the distance. The events of the past few weeks taking its effect. It was hard on everyone involved and those who weren't, well they felt for their significant others. 

 

Indra and Gustus walk into the theater and feel the silence. With a sigh, she turns the movie off and the kids look up at her as she walks down towards them, “I told each of you that I didn't want you to do this. This has been hard on all of you. Scary and exhausting. But you kids did amazing work and I'm proud.” 

 

The delinquents smile and Gustus comes in, “With that said, we have made appointments for each of you to discuss in therapy what has happened today and how to cope. Your mental health is just as important as the rest of your health. We think you all need it. And if in the end you all wish to continue training with me, I'll allow it. But on one condition.”

 

They each look up to Gustus and wait for him to give his terms, “None of you do any more of this illegal fighting. No fight club, no violence. You've seen enough.” Octavia lightens the mood with a laugh, “You don't have to tell me twice, dude. Fuck that.” Everyone laughs and it puts them all in a better mood. They focus on watching the movie this time. 

 

~~~~~

 

Indra and Gustus sit down and relax into each other as they watch the movie. Before they get too far, the doorbell rings and Indra leaves to answer it. Opening the door, she stops short when she notices the blonde woman standing before her, “I didn't expect to see you here?”

 

“Actually, most of the team is here. We were wondering if we could talk with your daughters and her friends?” Indra nods and quickly goes to gather everyone.

 

The delinquents are all gathered in the kitchen when they notice a team of seven people standing in the kitchen too. Everyone looks confused and a man steps forward, “If it's okay with you, Indra and Gustus, I would like to address these kids?” Indra and Gustus agree and he speaks directly to them.

 

“Allow me to introduce myself, I'm agent Aaron Hotchner and this is my team. I've been told that two of you are missing?” 

 

“Yeah, my brother Bellamy and his boyfriend Murphy.”

 

The man smiles and nods, “I'm addressing you all here today because of the information I've been given. I was told you group of teens took down a large crime boss one, quite frankly, that we've been looking to stop for a long time. We thought we had him when a Costia Greene went missing.” Lexa stiffens. Anya had told her about it but it was still a sore wound. He notices too and continues to speak, “We'll keep it brief. My team and I have another case calling our attention but I wanted to extend a helping hand. With the way you all worked together and gathered the information. My tech, Penelope, says a Raven Reyes was a very quick hacker. One of the fastest that we've seen. The hand I wanted to extend was when you all graduate high school and go through the appropriate training, my team is prepared to take you under our wing and show you the ropes. The FBI is impressed. I'm impressed by each and everyone of you. With that being said, we'll take our leave.” 

 

The delinquents stand there stunned. They were just offered a job by the FBI. They all turn to each other and can't help but laugh. It's hilarious to them all. This was going to be an interesting few years if any of them decided to join. 

 

With that out of the way, they go back into the theater. Now was the time to be kids.

 

~~~~

 

The morning finds the delinquents back at the hospital. Murphy is being discharged and they wait patiently for the man of the hour to be released. Clarke is a little upset. Dante has to stay for a little while longer before he can head back to the center. With a little coaxing from her mom, Clarke was able to sneak Dante out of the hospital for a little while. She kisses Lexa, “Take everyone to the baseball field.” Lexa laughs and kisses Clarke again and then again, “I've got it. Baseball for all of us. We need to relax and come together as a family.” Clarke nods with a smile and kisses Lexa again. 

 

“You two keep kissing and I'm never going to leave this hospital!” Clarke and Lexa double over from laughing and Clarke wheels Dante to the van. They drive off to setup the surprise for everyone. 

 

Before Murphy comes out, Indra pulls her son and the two Woods girls aside. The girls are worried and Indra shakes her head, “You're not in trouble I promise. We have our inspection in a couple of weeks. With everything going on, I was able to postpone it. But we wanted to ask you girls something.”

 

Lexa looks at Indra and nods, “Anything.”

 

With a smile Indra speaks up, “Are you girls happy with us? With them? I know it's shaky after everything that happened .”

 

Lexa beats Anya to it, “Mom, I love it here. So does Anya. And if it's okay with you, we would like nothing more than to stay here.”

 

Gustus smiles, “Good, because we wanted to ask, if it was okay with you girls, that we adopted you.”

 

Lincoln laughs, “Told you their faces would look like that. Man! I don't have my phone to capture this moment.”

 

Anya and Lexa both blurt out, “Yes!” They hug the family tightly.

 

After Murphy is released and the news fades away, Lexa smiles as everyone heads for their cars, “Everyone to the baseball field please!” 

 

~~~~

 

As they all arrive at the baseball field, Lexa finds Clarke immediately. Clarke smiles and gives Lexa a kiss. Lexa can't get enough of Clarke's lips. So she kisses the blonde again. Raven is the one to call them out.

 

“Alright you two, enough being gross! We followed you out here. Care to explain why?”

 

Lexa holds Clarke's hand and lets Clarke speak, “Well, we needed some normalcy. So, in the van, I have gloves, bats, and a baseball. I figured a friendly game would be nice. And Dante can sit with Murphy since they can't play.” 

 

Murphy laughs, “Clarke, I'm fine. Let me play a few runs!” 

 

The adults show up and Jake knows exactly what's going on, “Play ball delinquents!” The team breaks and they all run to the van. The adults gather around Dante and Abby smiles, “Good to see you, Dante.” He smiles, “It's good to be here. Why have you all decided to join me?” 

 

Indra laughs, “We figured you could use some company that weren't kids.” Gustus laughs, “Not that we're any better.” Jake shoves him, “Speak for yourself man.” 

 

“Boys that's enough. Seriously, Indra and I are the only ones who are normal.” Dante laughs this time, “My dear, there is nothing normal about this family. But it is beautiful and full of love. Enjoy each other while you can. Sometimes it's gone so fast, you find yourself questioning if it was real or not.” 

 

They notice Dante has a far off look in his eyes. He snaps out of it, “You guys should go. They are gonna start soon. I'll be the lone cheerleader.” They laugh and walk out to the field to set up.

 

Clarke is the first to bat and it begins the game. They don't keep score or make teams. They just throw the ball and hit. Without a care in the world, the game continues for more than an hour. The rain begins to fall but it doesn't stop them. Instead, it makes them play more. They even manage to bring Dante out on the field. 

 

Lexa and Anya are standing off to one side. They're taking in the view in front of them. Clarke is currently pushing Raven into the mud and having a good time.

 

“I thought you didn't date younger girl”

 

Anya laughs out loud and flips Lexa off, “And I thought you didn't go for princesses.” Lexa laughs this time and wraps an arm around her sister, “Anya, I'm sorry about all this. I fucked up.” Anya sighs, “Lexa, it's in the past and I don't hold it against you. But look at all this. What we've gained. The people who care and love us. I think it's time to let ourselves be truly happy. What do you say?” 

 

With a smile, Lexa answers her as Clarke walks closer, “Anya, I say life isn't always rainbows and butterflies, but right now…” Clarke wraps her arms around Lexa and they kiss, “Right now, it's pretty damn close.”


	20. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is guys. The final chapter. Thank you to everyone who has stayed and commented on this story. It's been an amazing ride. Please don't be too hard on me Okay? Until we meet again my dear readers. 
> 
> -Longliveclexa445

Clarke looks at herself in the mirror. Her hair was pulled back into a messy bun and she is struggling to pin her cap to her head. Of course it had to be windy today of all days. With a sigh, she manages to secure the hat down and looks closer at her ensemble. She's wearing a black dress with a slit up the side leg. It was dashing if she told the truth. Her only hope was that Lexa would like it. 

 

She turns around when she hears a cat call. “Who is the hottie?” Clarke laughs, “I could say the same to you, Raven.” Raven strikes a pose, “I know right? Perfection I'm telling you.” Clarke laughs again and asks, “Where's O?” Before Raven answers, Octavia bursts into the door, “We're graduating bitches!!!” The two girls laugh and they all hug each other. They did it! They managed to make it to graduation day. Of course three of the delinquents had graduated before them. Murphy, Bellamy, and Anya had graduated before their friends but they were coming back from college to see their friends and join them on the trip of a lifetime.

 

The girls start to finish getting everything ready, “So tell us, valedictorian, what do you have planned for your speech?” Clarke laughs, “You'll just have to wait, O. It's going to be good, don't worry.” 

 

~~~~~

 

The Forrester family drove to the Griffin household. The delinquents all agreed they would meet at Clarke's house. Lexa was excited and so was Lincoln. They were graduating. Anya was proud of her brother and sister. Anya was more shocked, “So tell me, Salutatorian, have your speech ready?” Lexa flips Anya off, “Yes, I have it you ass.” In the two years Lexa had, she really turned around. She focused on her schooling and caught up in what she was behind it. It took a lot of hard work but Lexa did it in the end. It also helped that Clarke was so smart. She was able to help Lexa study and pass exams. Clarke was a godsend. An unspoken good luck charm and Lexa couldn't live without her. 

 

“You gonna talk to them yet?” Lincoln had spoken up and Lexa noticed the family staring at her. Lexa blushes, “It's not everyday you ask the love of your life to marry you. Of course I'm going to ask them.”

 

“Ask who what?” Lexa stutters, “J..Jake! Hi.” He laughs, “Hey kiddo. You and Lincoln look very sharp.” Lexa and Lincoln smile and say their thank you’s to him. Abby is snapping pictures with a blinding flash but everyone just smiles and rolls with it. As they move inside, Lexa stays back, “Jake, Abby… could I talk with you?” Jake and Abby look confused but stay back with Lexa, “What's up, kiddo?”

 

Lexa smiles sheepishly, “I...wanted to ask a question.” 

 

“Go ahead sweetheart. Jake and I are here for you remember?”

 

Lexa sighs, “I love Clarke. So much. She's just… she's my missing piece. The one who makes me feel complete. These two years I've been with her have been the happiest of my life and I want to feel this way forever. What I'm asking is… could I please have your approval to ask Clarke to marry me? I know we're young but I want an eternity with her. And I know we can make this work.” 

 

Abby and Jake look at each other and the smile. Without missing a beat, Abby hugs Lexa and Jake speaks, “We give you our blessing, Lexa. We know you two are it. A lot like Abby and myself.” 

 

Lexa smiles and hugs them both. She goes inside to find Clarke. As she walks up the stairs, she notices the three amigos taking pictures. She can't help but smile at the view in front of her. Clarke was truly stunning. That dress left Lexa breathless. Clarke can feel eyes on her and knows exactly who it is. She turns her head and green eyes meet blue once more. 

 

God, Clarke couldn't get enough of it. Lexa staring at her was the most beautiful and erotic feeling Clarke had. Lexa's eyes always stared with wonder and hunger for the blonde. With a smile, Clarke pulls Lexa into the group, “Come on, love. Let's take a picture with all of us and then just you and me.”

 

Lexa can't help but smile as she takes picture after picture. With a laugh she tells them all, “We've got to get going. Everyone is showing up and your mom and my mom want pictures.” Clarke laughs, “You girls go, I'll be down in a minute. I need to grab my bag for the graduation trip.” Raven and Octavia walk downstairs and leave Clarke and Lexa on their own. They gravitate towards each other. Lexa wraps her arms around Clarke's waist, “You look beautiful, princess.” She kisses Clarke passionately and Clarke blushes, “You clean up nice, Court Jester. I like the fact you're still wearing your leather riding jacket and a flannel. We were supposed to dress up.” She mock glares and Lexa laughs, “I'm giving a speech right after you. I'm nervous so I get to dress comfortable.” Clarke laughs, “Okay love. Whatever you say.” 

 

Lexa pulls out her phone, “A picture my Love?” Clarke smiles and nods. Lexa puts the camera on selfie mode and kisses Clarke and takes the picture. Clarke takes out her phone and takes a few herself. “Is Dante coming?”

 

“Lex, he's gonna be there. I promise you. He wouldn't miss it for the world.” As Clarke begins to put away her phone, she notices the white marks fading on her skin. Where the zip ties were a little too tight. Lexa notices and immediately takes Clarke's wrists and softly kisses them, “Love?”

 

Clarke gives a small smile, “I'm sorry. Just remembering that's all. I still can't believe Emerson was killed though.”

 

“I know how you feel. But that's a good thing. Now he can't hurt anyone anymore.” 

 

Clarke nods. She hadn't expected the phone call she received from the FBI. They told her that Emerson had been murder in prison. Word had gotten out about what he had done to Costia. People didn't take too kindly to abusers of children. 

 

Clarke snaps out of it when she feels Lexa kiss her cheek, “Let's go downstairs, princess?” Clarke smiles and follows after her. It's chaos down stairs. All the teens stood together and outnumbered the adults. It was a sight to behold. Clarke stayed back as she saw Lexa and Anya mingling with everyone. Not too long ago, they had been the outsiders. Not that long ago, Clarke and Lexa hated each other. Yet here they were. And Clarke wouldn't change it for anything. Yes the event with Emerson and Cage had damaged her. It damaged all of them, but it made them closer. They had such a bond that not even their parents could understand. 

 

“Reminiscing or trying to look creepy?” Clarke smirks and punches Murphy in the arm, “Shut up.” He laughs and hugs her, “I've missed seeing your face, Clarke. You're really coming to the same college?” Clarke smirks, “Murph, we can't seem to be apart for too long. We all somehow managed to get scholarships to the same college.” 

 

Murphy laughs, “Yeah. Clarke, I know you got accepted to other schools. To become an actual doctor. Why didn't you take it?” Clarke smiles as she watches Lexa laughing with her parents, “Because Murph, I don't want to be a doctor. A nurse is perfect for me. Plus the art program is amazing there.” Murphy laughs, “You sure it has nothing to do with the fact that your girlfriend is going to be there?” Clarke smiles, “That's a perk. But I thought really hard about my decision. Lexa did too. We want what's best for each other.” 

 

Before too long, Indra hugs Clarke, “You look beautiful, Clarke.” Clarke hugs her back, “Thank you, Indra. You do too.” Indra smiles and reaches into her purse, “I was asked to give this to you.” Clarke takes the letter being handed to her and knows it's from Cage. She sighs, “I feel bad for not answering.” Indra shakes her head, “Don't, Clarke. You owe him nothing after everything he did. He knows that. And is trying to make amends. Don't make yourself feel bad over it.” Clarke nods her head and opens the letter. 

 

_ Clarke, today is your graduation day. I only know because my father. He's excited to see you graduate. You are heading off into this big world. But I know you can make it. Unlike myself, you've got a good head on your shoulders. And people who love and cherish you. Don't ever let them go. I wanted to write and tell you congrats. It's not an easy task to start college and life for that matter but you're going amazingly well. -Cage _

 

Clarke puts the letter away when she hears her mother begin to holler for pictures. Clarke and Murphy stand with the group as they begin to pose for all kinds of pictures.

 

~~~~~

Clarke finds herself shaking a bit. It had gone by so fast and now she was standing at the  podium looking out at the sea of students. She can spot all her friends and girlfriend in white. They were all graduating in the top ten. She smiles and takes a breath to collect herself.

 

“Wow, there are so many people out here tonight. My jokes are going to fall flat.” The crowd laughs a little and Clarke smiles, “Tough crowd.” This earns a louder laugh from the crowd. “Four years. The longest of my life I might add. And now I stand up here speaking to you. I'm supposed to give this wonderful speech that makes you all feel inspired and ready to go out into the world. But all I can say is this. Life is going to be hard for each and everyone of us. We're going to be knocked down and stripped bare to nothing but our skin and bones. But it's in that moment where we realize our strength.” 

 

Everyone is listening and Clarke notices Dante in the crowd and smiles when he waves. She continues her speech, “See, when we are stripped down to nothing, it gives us a chance to expose our souls. A piece of us that we don't let anyone see. In these moments, we allow people in. They see us at our weakest and then they help us. Sometimes we have to help ourselves. When it looks like your world is getting grim, remember that you are stronger than you think. We are being sent out to make a difference in this world. And I know we all are going to do it. We are going to be the faces of our future. A world our children can be proud to live in. So with that, I say congratulations guys! We did it! Let's go out there and make a difference in the large world that is being handed to us!” 

 

Everyone cheers and whistles as Clarke walks down to her seat next to Lexa. Lexa kisses her and whispers, “It's gonna be hard to beat that.” Clarke laughs and pushes Lexa from her seat to go up and speak. Lexa walks up and hears her family and friends cheer for her. She can see Dante cheering too and smiles a bit wider. She places her papers down on the podium and clears her throat, “Wow, it's going to be hard to top that speech.” The crowd laughs and Clarke smiles. 

 

“When I first arrived here, man was I unhappy. I hated it. I thought my life was just meant to be with people I thought were friends. But then I met the lovely Clarke Griffin. And let me tell you. My world was turned upside down. But she showed me that I was worth so much more than I let myself be. I gained a new sense of confidence and because of that I stand up here talking to all of you. Life is all about choices. We are giving a choice to do well or stay behind. And seeing all your faces tells me we all made the choice to go into this world and own it. We are in charge of our own destinies. So let's go out and change ours!” Everyone cheers and screams and Lexa smiles, “With that said, I'm taking a chance with my destiny. It took a lot of asking and permission for this.” The crowd quiets down. Lexa had told everyone about the plan. Clarke watches with confusion. Lexa smiles still, “Clarke, my life hasn't been easy. In fact, it's been a shit show. And we went through so much a few years ago. But in the time we've been together, I know that I don't want to spend my life with anyone else. My heart has chosen you. So, with my heart in my hand, I ask you today in front of even one and with your parents blessing. Will you marry me, Clarke Griffin?” 

 

Clarke is in shock. Her mouth hangs open. What's Lexa kidding? There was no way this was happening!? Raven and Octavia laugh and push Clarke forward, “She wants an answer!” Clarke runs up and takes the ring and puts it on, “Yes!! Yes Lexa yes of course I'll marry you!!” Every single student stood up and turn their tassels and then throw their caps in the air. Clarke and Lexa are kissing. They don't pay attention to anything but each other. This was going to be the start of such a beautiful future.

 

~~~~~

 

**_15 Years Later_ **

 

“Aden Griffin-Woods! It's time for school and your mother doesn't have much time. Let's move it mister!” A blonde haired little boy who looks and acts so much like Lexa runs down the stairs, “I'm ready, mommy!” Clarke smiles and kisses her son. Lexa comes out, “Do I get one too?” Clarke debates for a second, “Hmm...I don't know. You're leaving me with Madi upstairs asleep.” Lexa whines and Clarke laughs. She pulls Lexa close and kisses her with passion. Even after fifteen years, Clarke and Lexa were crazy about each other and worse than most teens were now. Lexa gathers Aden and then leave. Clarke heads upstairs after hearing the baby monitor. 

 

“Whoa, how's my big girl doing!” A brunette headed baby sits up with crazy hair and Clarke feels her heart bloom. She looks like Clarke and Lexa. Picking her up, she changes Madi and carries her down stairs. Placing her in a baby carrier, Clarke sets to work to cleaning up and preparing breakfast and dinner. She smiles as Madi babbles. Madi was going to be 2 soon. Clarke loves hearing Madi talk. There's a knock on the door and hears Raven and Anya, “Who's ready for aunt Raven!” 

 

Madi screeches and Raven scoops her up and blows raspberries into the girls tummy. Madi laughs uncontrollably and Anya sighs, “Please forgive my wife. She lacks the capacity to think.” Clarke laughs and hugs both women, “How are you two?” Anya smiles, “We're Good. We had some free time before work so we thought we'd visit my favorite sister in law.” Clarke smiles, “Well, I'm doing great. Lex took Aden to school and then headed off to the gym with Gustus. She has a fight coming up next week.” Anya smiles, “We'll be there!” 

 

Anya had to admit she was pretty proud with where everyone went after college. Lexa and Octavia continued to train with Gustus at the gym and made it a profession. They weren't in any major leagues but they made enough money to keep their families comfortable. As for Raven? Well, she went on to become one of the youngest aerospace engineers NASA had ever seen. She helped with cases from the FBI every now and again. Lincoln became a trainer at Gustus’ gym. The two became co owners of a larger area after Lincoln found the right investors for it. They both trained but Lincoln handled the paperwork. 

 

Bellamy became the owner of a mechanic shop. Raven worked there sometimes when Bellamy needed the help. Otherwise he was doing pretty good. It was only a few blocks away from the gym Gustus and Lincoln worked at. In turn, all of the connections Lincoln had managed to wander into Bellamy’s shop. Murphy on the other hand worked closely with Anya. They went on to become the best paralegal team the whole damn country had seen. With the help of Indra and her connections, they managed to get an early start. They tried every case that came across their desk and won. 

 

As for Jasper and Monty? Well, they opened their own dispensary for weed. They managed to make so many different flavors and combinations that their shop wq s the most successful. They managed to run out of stock on most of their items within the first month of opening. Miller and Maya helped out at the store. 

 

And Clarke, she became a nurse just like she wanted to. She worked hard hours but was always home by dinner time. She excelled quickly in school because of the training her mom gave her in the past. With a smile, she continues to make breakfast. Anya grabs the plates down, “So, what do you have planned?” Clarke looks to Anya and grab a plate to put some food on it, “Well, after this, Madi and I have a date with Dante.” 

 

“Gampa Dan!!” Clarke laughs at Madi’s nickname for him. Both kids loved Dante and Dante loved the kids. He spoiled them rotten whenever he got the chance to. As Clarke finished putting the food on plates, they sit down to eat. Raven helps feed Madi, “Is everyone coming tonight for dinner?” Clarke swallows the bacon she had, “Yeah, my mom has the day off so she'll be here this time. Gus and Indra are coming too. Lexa has had the steaks marinating for three days in the fridge. Murph is bringing the salad, there's too many people to remember what they are all bringing.” Both women at the table nod and continue eating.

 

~~~~

 

After breakfast, Raven and Anya say their goodbyes and take off. Clarke gets Madi ready to visit Dante and they set off. Once at the home, she sees Jackson. He smiles at Madi and Clarke. After finishing med school, he became an incredible doctor but still volunteered here. The people he met were his family. 

 

“Go right on in you two.” Clarke thanks him and they make their way to his room. Clarke can't help but feel a certain sadness building up in her stomach. She shakes her head trying to blame it on the eggs. She can hear the ringing in her ears. Normally it isn't that silent here. Dante had everyone up and laughing. As she walks further down and reaches his room, Clarke worst fear is confirmed. 

 

She sees Dante laying on the bed. There is a nurse with him and she is wiping her eyes. The nurse looks up, “Clarke…” Clarke already has tears in her eyes, “Dr. Cartwig, please...please tell me he's just sleeping?” The doctor comes out and holds Clarke's hand, “He's… gone, Clarke. He died of natural causes and went peacefully in his sleep.” 

 

Clarke feels her world darken a bit. Dante was gone? No. He was still so young. She had seen him only yesterday with Lexa and Aden. She pulls out her phone and walks to the front with Madi. “Hey baby, what's up?” Clarke cries, “Baby?? What's going on? What happened?” Clarke sighs, “Lex, Dante… Dante is gone.”

 

~~~~~

 

The funeral was hard. Clarke and Lexa held on to each other tightly. They lost a man who had brought them closer together. Who gave so much advice when they fought, when they needed help. It hit them both hard. The delinquents were sad too but no one had quite the bond like Clarke did. And so it was her who gave the eulogy. 

 

She looks out at the crowd and sees Cage sitting there. He had been writing his father every day while in prison and was let out for good behavior. He spent every day with his dad after that. They rebuilt their relationship but he even understood that it would never be as incredible as it once was. Cage talked with Lexa and Clarke but only ever that. Cage was still someone the two women feared. 

 

She sighs, “I never wanted to be up here to do this. But here I am. I met Dante in my freshman year of high school. I took on a job at the Senior Citizen Home and met a lot of wonderful people. They all had so much life still left in them. With stories and advice. But one stood out among the rest to me. I walked into his room and he greeted me with such a kind smile.” She has to stop talking for a second because she is tearing up. “Dante was there for me whenever I needed him to be. He shared his story. And he always spoke about how proud he was of his son, Cage.” Cage looks up and Clarke smiles at him. He smiles too. Clarke continues, “I don't want to stand up here for too long. So I'll be brief. Dante was an amazing man. He spent so much time crafting me into the person I am today. He helped my wife and I through some tough times and he adored my children. He will always be in my heart and i will never forget him. Goodbye, Dante. May they have all the cheeseburgers you want up there.” 

 

Everyone laughed at the end and Clarke sat down with her family. She felt a sense of peace wash over her and knew Dante would always be looking out for them. 

 

~~~~~

The evening finds the family and friends at Clarke's house. They are laughing and having a good time just being together. Dante’s funeral was a sad time for all of them, but it wasn't meant to mourn. Dante didn't like people to cry over him. He wanted them to laugh and remember who he was. So they did exactly that. Cage stopped by. It took a lot for Clarke and Lexa to be okay with it but they knew he wasn't bad. He had proved it time and time again over the years. 

 

As Clarke and Lexa were playing with all the kids, Indra pulled them aside, “Clarke, I have a letter to you from Dante. He asked me to give it to you when he passed away.” Clarke tears up but thanks Indra and opens the letter. Lexa is playing with the kids. 

 

_ My dearest Clarke, I sit at my desk and write this letter to you. I've asked my lawyer to rip up my will. I had a few changes to make and so this is it. I trust Indra has given it to you as I have asked. Right now, you have just left me and gone with Lexa. She's a good kid. A little troubled but she has a large heart. I trust that this letter has found you two married with your own family. I hope I live long enough to meet those children. To be in your wedding. And I hope that in time, you'll accept my son into your family. I'm not asking you to because what he has done is terrible. But he is troubled just as your Lexa was. With that said, I wanted to say thank you. You have kept me so young these few years I've known you. I look forward to so many more after this. As I write this, I wondered what I had in mind to do. But now it's just so clear. Clarke, I leave everything I own to you and Lexa. A small percentage is going to Cage. Otherwise, everything I have saved over the years is yours. My home that was so full of love and happiness is now yours. I'll be sure to clean it out before so it's move in ready. If you'd like it of course. Maybe keep it in the family and your children can use it? Rent it out, anything. I also have a beach house in Hawaii. I would love for you girls to have it. Both house are paid off so you wouldn't have to worry about a mortgage or anything of the sort… _

 

Clarke gasped and had to sit down, what did Dante do for a living?

 

_ I'm pretty sure you're asking what it is I did for a living. Well, I'll tell you. My mother and father owned a small business. And when they added a new product, it just expanded from there. Those burgers I love so much? You can thank my parents for that idea. Not only was I brought up in money, but I made my own little fortune. I became a contractor and started my own company. Wallace Construction. Just in case you haven't heard of it. I also put aside quite a bit of money for your children (should you have any). They can go to the college of their choice. Clarke, I know this is a lot to take in. In the future, I'm sure you girls will have a very comfortable lifestyle. But this is just an extra boost. How does it feel to know you never have to worry about money? Please Clarke, take care of yourself and be proud of who you are. Be proud of who Lexa is. But most important, be proud of who you girls have become together. I'll see you soon. Do you think there will be cheese burgers where I'm going? _

 

_ -Dante _

 

Lexa heard the letter when Clarke read it to her that night. They put the kids down for bed and then went into their own room. They couldn't believe it. Both girls loved Dante but never for his money. They had never cared about what the man owned. They just cared about the man. Maybe that's why Dante gave them everything? It didn't matter. Clarke and Lexa would take care of Dante’s things. Clarke would work on her relationship with Cage. As Lexa fell asleep next to Clarke, Clarke took the letter out again and reread it. What she didn't notice was the back of the paper. She turned it over and felt herself begin to tear up. It was the self portrait she had done for Dante. Now she would forever have a piece of the man who taught her so much. She would always have happiness. And that's all anyone can ask for. 

 

After putting the letter away, she crawls into bed and curls into Lexa. It was nice to be home. And for Clarke, Lexa's arms had always been home.


End file.
